The Case of Merlin Emrys: Merlin's Story
by Totally-Out-Of-It
Summary: AU. The future is always changing, but Merlin will do anything to keep it the way he’s seen it: bullies, secrets, Arthur Pendragon, and all. Prequel story to TCOME for all my Merlin loving reviewers! Arlin Merthur Rating may change.
1. Freshmen Year Part 1

Ok, people seemed to enjoy The Case of Merlin Emrys a lot, save for the fact that Merlin is dead. So I planned on writing a 'bonus chapter' showcasing the relationship between Merlin and Arthur from the time they met until the moment Merlin died.

Eheh. 3 chapters later and I've only just finished freshmen year of high school….

I hope you enjoy this!

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_Eight Years Ago…._

_August, 2001_

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Merlin set his school books in his locker and then shut the metal contraption with a sound 'snap.' None of his teachers had given out homework today. The minute his locker shut, Merlin jumped because there was another student right behind the locker door. The boy's smirk grew when Merlin jumped.

"Oh what, did I startle you?" he teased. "I thought you could see the future, loser. What happened to that, huh?"

Merlin inwardly sighed. Part of him wished he'd never told that cheerleader not to jump on the bleachers. Not only had it made him a suspect of foul play when the wooden seats gave way under her, but she'd blabbed to the entire school that he'd done it just to make himself look psychic. Then other kids that he'd warned of troubles in the future had begun to speak up, saying he was only doing it to scare people or trick them or gain attention or whatever. It had earned him two weeks of verbal torture from the other students. His current tormentor was on the football team, if his jersey stood for anything.

"I can't see the future," Merlin corrected calmly. "I sense it. There's a difference."

"Ooh, a difference," the jock jeered. "Hey! Cedric! Come check out Emrys! He can 'sense' the future!"

"Tch!" another male scoffed. His hair was half greased back, half simply combed back, and he was growing out a beard and mustache. Belaying the bright red and gold jersey he wore, the guy looked sleazy and untrustworthy. Sadly, his status as a basketball player set him at the top of the food chain and everyone wanted to know him.

He was going to rob a gas station across town three days from now. Two kids looking at candy would get hurt. He'd get away with three hundred dollars in cash and change along with twelve assorted candy bars, six bags of chips, three beers, and a slim jim.

Merlin shook his head to clear it and faced the current Cedric Sigan. He looked angry at even having to acknowledge Merlin's existence. Merlin narrowed his eyes at Cedric and briefly took in those with him. The tallest one had ear length brown hair in a boyish cut with blue eyes and a defined chin. He was a senior this year and looked decidedly uncomfortable about picking on a freshman he'd never actually met before. Cedric was a junior himself but he had no qualms about picking on whoever he could get his hands on. The other student with Cedric really caught Merlin's attention.

His hair was golden blonde and slightly shorter than the senior boy's was, and his eyes were bluer and deeper by far. His skin was fair and he was toned beneath his track jersey. And while he was quite something to look at, even at only fourteen, that wasn't what caught Merlin's attention. It was the feelings he got. It felt like all of time and reality had been pulled together within him and his heart was unraveling and he couldn't stop it. There was a mild negative feeling leaking from the teen but it was soon overpowered by an influx of amazingly beautiful feelings that Merlin couldn't even begin to describe.

Merlin felt faint and fell back into his locker with a semi-loud crash, barely managing to catch himself with his hands before his head hit the metal. Cedric scoffed again. "Loser. You're not worth my time. Leon, Arthur, let's go," he commanded before walking off like he owned the school building.

The jock that had called Cedric's attention scowled and shoved Merlin to the side before hurrying to catch up with the trio before they got too far away. Merlin, still reeling from the feelings he'd gotten only a moment before, couldn't catch himself this time and went cascading to the floor. His bag, which he hadn't zipped up yet, spilled his school supplies all across the hall nearby. In fact, the only thing that did stay in his bag was a simple composition notebook with the word 'Feelings' written in subtle grey pencil on the cover.

Merlin pushed himself off the floor, trying to ignore the laughs and teasing of his fellow classmates in the hall. He started to pull any of his supplies within arm's reach to himself but stopped when a feminine hand was placed before him, every pen and pencil he owned clasped within its grasp. Looking up, Merlin found himself face to face with a fair skinned girl with curly black hair. She smiled at him.

"Here. I got your pens," she announced quietly.

Merlin slowly reached over and took them from her before putting them in his bag. "Thanks," he murmured.

"I'm Guinevere…but my friends call me Gwen. Well, friend. I've only got the one, really….Which is really kinda sad when you think about it. Not to say she's a bad person or anything, I love Morgana. She's great. Oh. Not in a homosexual sense either, strictly platonic. Not to say that I have anything against homosexuals either," she corrected hurriedly. "Just saying, in case you are gay. Not that you look gay or anything it's just….oh dear, I've done it again."

Merlin laughed once. "No, it's fine. You've made me feel loads better actually," he admitted, grabbing the last of his things from the floor and stuffing them in his bag. He'd organize later. He stood up and Gwen followed suit, looking very relieved at his words. "I'm Merlin. Merlin Emrys," he introduced, holding out his hand to shake.

"Guinevere Leodegan," Gwen introduced formally, giving his hand a firm shake. "I saw how those guys treated you. It was really bad."

Merlin shook his head. "I'm used to it."

Gwen shook her head. "You shouldn't have to be used to it. It shouldn't happen at all. No matter what lies anyone tells or gifts anyone has, they shouldn't be bullied. Those idiots just don't have anything better to do with their time. Their parents are rich snobs who buy their kids anything they want so now they think they're hot stuff when really they're no different from the rest of us." She glared off in the direction the jocks had gone and Merlin smiled.

"Thanks, Gwen."

-

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"Wah!" Merlin yelped as he flew through the air. He landed with a 'whump' and a lot of clattering in the trash and quickly put his hands over his nose and mouth, trying not to breathe in.

"See anything you like, freak?" a voice jeered.

"Hey, isn't this bigger than your room at home?" another called.

Merlin turned to face his attackers: a bunch of random athlete's from Camelot High. Cedric was leading them, as always. Leon wasn't there, but Arthur was. And there it was again. Every time Merlin saw or thought of Arthur, he was hit with those same feelings as the first time, and no matter how much Arthur bullied him the negative feeling just seemed to get dimmer and dimmer. Then, Merlin had decided, Arthur must have a beautiful heart hidden behind his male bravado.

There was a creak and all the jocks kind of giggled to themselves the moment before darkness encompassed Merlin's world. "Hey!" he cried, and gagged on the stench that now had nowhere to go. He pushed up on the lid to the large dumpster they'd thrown him in, but it didn't budge. The thing was way too heavy for him….Great. Trapped in a dumpster.

He heard the jocks chortling and jeering at him, but it was muffled by the plastic and the trash now pressed against him on all sides since he now had to lay down to fit. It took a minute or two, but Merlin heard them all leaving and tried once again to push up on the lid. It was no use. He wasn't in nearly the right position to lift it.

Was he stuck in here until the garbage trucks came? What would happen if he got put in one of those trucks? Would he die of the smell first? But he wanted to figure out that Arthur guy first! He wasn't ready to die!

Light peeked in at him and hit Merlin right in the eyes. He squinted at it, unable to see a thing. How was it- Then all of a sudden the whole lid went flying back and open again and Merlin had to blink a few times to adjust to the light again. He heard huffing and puffing and then two girls came around to the front of the dumpster.

"Hey, Merlin," Morgana greeted. She was a dark beauty if Merlin had ever seen one. Merlin had recently learned that Morgana was Arthur's adoptive sister and thus knew him better than anyone. She said he was a prat and that was all there was to it so Merlin didn't press her. Despite being one of the richest kids in all of Camelot, Morgana chose to hang out with Gwen, the daughter of a woman who worked at the orphanage she'd been at who she had known since she was quite young.

"Hey, Morgana," Merlin kinda…croaked. Good lord, did he need something to drink to wash the smell out! How long had he actually been in there?

Gwen was already climbing up the side of the dumpster and reaching a hand out to him. "Sorry we didn't get to you sooner. We had to wait until those jerks had left the area," she apologized. Merlin took her hand and she pulled him up into a sitting position again. From there, he began climbing out on his own. When he passed Gwen on his way over the edge, her nose wrinkled. "Goodness…You reek."

"Yea, well, I was just stuck in a dumpster in one of the most waste producing areas in all of Camelot," Merlin reasoned, jumping down. The dumpster was almost six feet tall, and about twice as long; plenty big for throwing a high school student in.

"You know, Merlin, if you just stopped telling people when they were going to be hurt, the athletics teams would leave you alone," Morgana said plainly.

Merlin shook his head. "That'd be like you getting ready to jump from the Empire State Building and me simply standing there and watching. I can't do it, Morgana. I just can't."

Morgana sighed, knowing he was right. She wasn't sure she really believed he could 'feel' the future, but he'd told her about the gas leak in her car last week and warned her about the burners and her hair in chemistry three days ago (neither of which she'd listened to), so maybe there was something to it after all. Gwen didn't seem to care either way. Merlin hadn't told her anything even remotely bad was going to happen to her, so she had no proof one way or the other. Still, even if Merlin was just lucky, he was still a nice guy and tried to help everyone he could, so Morgana liked him and would do her best to help him.

"Um, Merlin….," Gwen murmured, trying not to look at her friend. Merlin tilted his head in question and she took a deep breath. "Maybe you should take a shower before we go to the movies, huh?" she suggested.

Merlin blinked a few times before jumping and looking at himself. He looked dusty, with something that was probably mustard on his right shoulder, a banana peel hooked in his right back pocket, a gum wrapper stuck in his hair, something that looked like cat litter on his left pant leg, and some sort of grease all up the back of his shirt. He grimaced and covered his nose.

"Uh…yea…yea, I'll do that," he agreed. "How about I meet you two up there, hm?"

Morgana nodded, a slight frown on her face. Those were Merlin's best jeans, and his favorite shirt. Maybe she could get them professionally cleaned as an apology for her brother's stupidity. "Hey, Merlin," she called before he was three steps away. "I'll get your clothes cleaned for you, ok?"

Merlin shook his head. "It's alright. I'm sure it'll all come clean in the wash." Then, before she could argue, he ran off.

Gwen put a hand on Morgana's shoulder. "You should've known he would say no," she said simply.

Morgana shrugged. "I know. But I was kinda hoping he'd let me help him this time. He never lets us help," she complained. It had been two months since school started, two months of this sort of treatment and Merlin just didn't seem to care! Morgana couldn't understand it! Most people would either get depressed or homicidal, but not Merlin. He was a riddle wrapped up in a mystery.

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Merlin was sitting on the bleachers at the track, writing in his notebook about a feeling he'd gotten about a twelve year old girl he'd seen on the way to school that morning. He'd warned her not to walk home tonight, like she always did, but to take a bus or a cab instead. He even gave her fare. When she asked him why, he told her suspicions persons were seen in the area and he didn't want her to get hurt. She'd called him suspicious, but had accepted the money and told him she'd take a cab.

The foreboding feeling he'd gotten vanished immediately, so he knew she was telling the truth.

The sound of a gate opening echoed between the bleachers on either side of the track and Merlin looked up from his book. It was after school and there were no team practices today. That was why Merlin was here at all. So who else was seeking refuge in the empty track?

The most eye catching part of the person, when they walked into view, was their red track pants. Then Merlin noticed the skin tight white shirt and the golden hair and holy cow it was Arthur Pendragon! Merlin quickly ducked down into the seats and laid against the cool metal to hide. If Arthur was looking for him, he'd be able to see him through the open backs of the seats. But since he wasn't looking, this was a great hiding spot. Now the only issue was how to get out of the stands without being seen.

Merlin watched Arthur through the same gaps that would've given his position away as the track runner stretched and warmed up. He'd never noticed before but…Arthur's muscles were really well toned. Merlin shook his head. Now was not the time to be checking him out! Yes, Arthur was the hottest ninth grader in the school, but he was still the guy who picked on Merlin every day as one of Cedric's lackeys! He may have a nice heart but those good emotions Merlin was picking up from him were far in the future and he didn't feel like having his head flushed down the toilet today.

Arthur set himself up at the starting line, stared for a few long moments at something Merlin couldn't see, and then suddenly bolted as if he'd heard the whistle being blown. Merlin actually looked around for the coach or before he realized there was no whistle.

Arthur running was something else. Even from this distance, Merlin could see his muscles flex and ripple beneath taught skin. He was super fast and had this intense look on his face that Merlin had never seen before.

Merlin's eyes widened and his cheeks grew hot. Well if that hadn't done him in! He groaned softly and pressed his forehead into the metal of the bleachers, not caring about the lines that would be there later. The pain of the metal pressing into the thin skin of his forehead was nothing compared to the knowledge that he was crushing on someone who tormented him every day. It was nothing compared to the hardness between his legs now pressing quite uncomfortably against his jeans and the bleachers.

"Stupid stupid stupid," he breathed to himself, pressing his forehead and nose harder into the metal and trying to think of anything besides Arthur Pendragon and his toned muscles and tight skin and intense eyes. Merlin groaned again. "Stupid."

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Merlin tried to avoid Arthur after that. After one day he already felt awkward. The feeling of the future Merlin got when he saw Arthur had been something he felt all the time because Arthur was always there when he was being bullied and now Merlin hadn't felt it in over twenty-four hours. It…felt wrong to not see Arthur. After two days, Merlin felt hollow inside. By the third day, he just couldn't stand it anymore. So, on the way to lunch, he stood at the edge of the crowd of students making their way to the cafeteria and walked slow. As predicted, he was grabbed as soon as a space between two buildings existed and thrown to the ground in the midst of four jocks. Arthur was one of them.

He'd barely glimpsed his new found crush before Cedric hefted him up and dragged him into the nearest bathroom. Merlin barely made a noise when he was tossed into the room because he was feeling better already just from seeing Arthur's face.

A stall was pushed open and Merlin was lifted up again. He looked into the face of the person holding him and again felt all of time and reality merging in the eyes of Arthur Pendragon. He felt it expanding and broadening until it seemed the whole of the future was open to him. Just as Merlin was certain he could see something of Arthur's future, not feel but _see_, Arthur pushed him into the stall and he lost it.

The jocks were cheering Arthur on as he shoved Merlin's head towards the water in the toilet, and Merlin fought against it. He braced his hands on the side of the toilet bowl and tried to hold himself up, but Arthur was stronger than he was and soon Merlin felt his face hit the water. He knew what would come next. He pushed up with everything he had and felt himself come back out of the water. Then he was against Arthur's chest and one of Arthur's arms was around his waist and Merlin felt…at peace. It only lasted a moment before he was dropped like a rock and Arthur backed out of the stall.

"Ooh! Little freak's got some fight in him!" some guy from the baseball team that Merlin didn't care about jeered. Merlin had his back against the toilet bowl and his hair was dripping wet, but at least that was all.

"What? You gonna fight us, coward?" another challenged.

Merlin shook his head silently and looked up at Arthur. "I won't fight," he pretty much breathed out. He met Arthur's eyes. The world opened up to him and if he looked further he could see it. It wasn't a feeling. Merlin could literally _see_ it! Arthur was…Arthur was…

He smiled and nearly cried when he realized how this would all end. He'd seen it. Arthur's future was…Merlin's future. Someday, though Merlin didn't know when, but _someday_ Arthur would be with him. He'd seen them kissing each other passionately and holding hands and passing notes and a ring that Arthur would treasure forever.

"What are you smiling about?" Arthur's voice broke across him like a wave on a beach and Merlin was brought back to the present. "You _like_ getting your head stuck in a toilet?" he sneered.

Merlin shook his head but never looked away from Arthur's face. Arthur. Somehow, someway, Merlin was going to change him. He wouldn't force it because he knew it would happen no matter what he did but…Merlin would get to see that kind heart that Arthur kept hidden deep inside him and he felt so _happy_ that Merlin feared his heart might burst.

"You're such a freak," Arthur muttered, turning and walking past the stall door where Merlin couldn't see.

Cedric moved to take Arthur's place. "Now, where were we?" he asked rhetorically. The good feelings fled almost immediately and Merlin pressed back against the toilet in a vain attempt to get further away from the greasy teen. Then Cedric had a hold of him and Merlin heard the toilet flush.

-

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"I just don't understand Mr. Gharti," Gwen complained lightly about a week later, shutting her locker gently. She sighed. "I think I understand the _idea_ behind what he's talking about, but his accent is so thick that…I don't catch anything he says."

"I don't know why Biology is so important anyway," Morgana agreed. "Yay, things evolve and live and die and somehow we all get energy and life from something. I don't need to know it to be alive."

"But you _do_ need it for your future career, so I'd pay attention," Merlin interjected as he stepped up to them and opened his locker.

"What?" Morgana asked, turning to face him. "What future career? I haven't even decided what I'll do yet."

Merlin shrugged with a little smile but didn't explain himself more than, "Just…pay attention in science classes."

"Merlin!" Morgana whined. "You can't _do_ that! You have to tell me what you saw!"

Merlin shook his head as he finished putting his books up and taking the ones he would need for his homework into his bag. "I didn't see anything," he said truthfully, shutting his locker and turning his head. "I-"

"Felt it, right," Morgana groaned. "I forgot. You don't see the future."

"Actually. I did see it….Once," he admitted.

"Really? What did you see?" Gwen asked, excited. Merlin had successfully predicted how well she would do on each of her mid-terms a little while ago, to the exact percentage. And to prove himself to Morgana he'd told her that Gwen would be sick for four days last week but not to worry. Morgana told Gwen about Merlin's predication only after the fact so she would know it wasn't just something psychological. Since then, Gwen was excited whenever Merlin talked about things he'd felt.

Merlin shook his head, shouldering his bag. "Gwen, it was…I mean…I would _love_ to see more. You have no idea how _amazing_ it was," Merlin sighed. "Not the actual seeing bit, though. That was exhausting and took everything I had but…but oh what I saw!"

"You saw something good, I assume?" Morgana teased. "Lemme guess….Were you and she doing something…_untoward_?"

"She?" Gwen asked, tilting her head to the side a bit.

Merlin blushed a brighter red than anything Morgana or Gwen had ever seen before and Morgana began to giggle. Merlin opened and shut his mouth a few times before he found his voice again. "That…Well that is…Morgana, you're so…N-no!" he practically forced out when Morgana's giggles grew louder at his suffering. "Morgana!" he whined.

"Oh calm down, Merlin," Morgana teased. "If it makes you this happy, she's gotta be something else. Tell me, who is she? You've got to know her. You said you couldn't predict your own future so you must've been seeing hers."

"Oh," Merlin sort of…gasped out. He flushed faintly, a far cry from the glowing red he was a moment ago. "They're…um…That's none of your business," he avoided _almost_ smoothly, turning to walk away.

Arthur Pendragon took that moment to come around the corner and Merlin gasped, holding his head and falling backwards. Morgana barely caught him and Gwen had to help to keep them standing. Arthur didn't even look their way. He was making his way toward Cedric.

"Merlin?" Gwen asked softly, trying not to draw attention to them. He shook his head and stood on his own with help from his locker. "What was it? Something bad?"

Merlin only ever nearly collapsed when it was something really bad. He shook his head lightly and looked over at where Arthur and Cedric were talking across the hallway from them. Morgana and Gwen turned to listen too.

"-wondering if you were coming too," Cedric was saying.

Arthur looked pleased with himself. "Yea, I'm coming. Where're you going?"

Cedric gave a smile that was oily and untrustworthy. "Mystic Pointe," he said smugly.

Arthur's eyes widened a bit. "That's pretty hardcore, man."

"Best club in all of Camelot," Cedric pitched. He wrapped an arm across Arthur's shoulders. "This guy I know can get us in free and without hassle. You still in, freshy?" Arthur nodded. This was his ultimate chance to make a good reputation for himself! Cedric grinned that oily grin again and pat Arthur roughly on the shoulder. "Then let's go, man. Jared's gathering the other guys at my car."

"Car," Arthur breathed out, following like an obedient puppy.

Morgana glared at his back. "_Mystic_ _Pointe_? Is he _serious_? That place is the ultimate in dodgy. If dad knew….," she shook her head, "God would Arthur be in for it. Besides, he's _fifteen_. That place is for twenty-one and older, no exceptions. How in heaven's name does he expect to get in without being noticed? Cedric can pass for twenty-five, but Arthur? _Psh_."

"Aren't you more worried about him getting hurt, Morgana?" Gwen asked, a knowing glint in her eyes while her voice showed nothing but concern.

Morgana shook her head. "No," she said, very unconvincingly. "He'll be home in an hour with police escort and dad will be livid. He's just been promoted and this will _not_ look good on his record." She faced her dark skinned friend. "I'll be laughing when he's grounded for the rest of his natural life."

"Let's just ask Merlin how it'll go. He can tell you if Arthur will be alright," Gwen suggested. "Can't you, Merlin? Merlin?" she asked, looking around.

He was gone.

-

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"Jared," Cedric called as they neared a beautiful black car that looked newly washed to sparkling. "Meko, Charles," he greeted, taking his keys from his pocket.

"'Sup," Meko nodded, his blonde hair bobbing in front of his eyes. He was on the swim team. "Arthur coming this time?"

Cedric nodded but didn't say anything, simply getting in his car and unlocking all the doors. Jared sat in the passenger seat and Meko slid in on one side. Charles held the other door open and motioned for Arthur to take the middle back seat. Arthur grinned and moved toward the car but stopped when he felt a tug on his jersey.

"Huh?" he let out, turning to see Merlin Emrys standing right behind him with a firm grip on the bottom right side of his red Camelot High jersey. "What do you want, freak? Let go," he ordered.

Merlin shook his head. "Don't get in the car," he wheezed out, his free hand on his left knee and his whole body bent over double as he tried to catch his breath. Had he run a long way or something?

"Arthur!" Cedric called out his window. "Leave the loser and get in. We'll be late meeting my friend!"

Arthur nodded and grabbed Merlin's hand to pry it off his jacket. Merlin looked up at him, his eyes pleading. "Please. I know you don't believe me and I know you hate me but _please_, Arthur….Don't get in the car. There's so much left to do. If you get in that car, it's all over before it can start," he explained hastily, breathily. "Please don't…"

Arthur pulled Merlin's hand from his jacket, not as roughly as he'd planned. He couldn't look away from Merlin's face and the moment his hand was off Arthur's jacket, Arthur saw such a heart wrenching look, something so broken, that he barely managed to let go of Merlin's hand and move toward the car. Merlin's fingers inched forward again, grasping at air vainly.

"_Arthur_!" Merlin gasped out. "Please don't go!" he begged. "_Please_!"

Arthur stopped and turned a bit to look back at the boy he helped torment every day this year. Why was he….

"_Arthur_!" Cedric yelled, honking the horn of his car. "Get in or I'm leaving you!"

Arthur glanced at the car, where Charles was still holding open the door, and then back at Merlin. Merlin was begging him to not go with every fiber of his being. Arthur shook his head. "This is crazy," he breathed out and faced the car again. "Go ahead, guys. I'm gonna sit this one out," he called half-heartedly to the other athletes in the car.

"You're funeral, dude," Charles said before getting in the car and shutting the door behind him. Arthur saw Cedric roll his eyes and then they were pulling away.

Arthur stood there for several long moments, just watching the car drive away. Then, "Arthur," Merlin breathed out in awe. "You…"

"-listened to you," Arthur finished harshly. "It's probably the end of my life as I know it, but _yea_. I _did_. Now stop _talking_ to me!" he ordered angrily, stomping off.

Merlin smiled. Arthur was mad at himself because he didn't know what to think anymore. But no matter what came of this moment…Arthur had believed him and stayed behind! Arthur believed him! "Thank you, Arthur," he said quietly, even though Arthur was gone from sight.

-

-

"Did you hear?" a girl was whispering in first period when Gwen sat down.

"Yea. It was terrible!" another answered, her and three others all leaning their heads together so they could whisper quietly to each other and still get the gossip around.

"What happened?" Gwen asked, turning to Morgana. The entire class, no the school, had been buzzing like this.

Morgana flicked her eyes from the whispering girls to Gwen. "A group of guys from our school died last night," she said softly, but not in a whisper, more like it was something taboo. "Cedric's guys. Last night. They were hit by a semi going seventy miles an hour. Everyone died."

Gwen gasped, her hands flying over her mouth. She parted them just enough to breath out, "Arthur?"

Arthur chose that moment to walk in. Everyone stopped talking for a moment and looked at him and the brooding look on his face. He ignored them and moved to sit in the back of the class, like usual, and the moment he was seated everyone started whispering to each other again. Arthur brought his school stuff out of his bag with a kind of muted aggression that showed he was hearing every word they whispered and hated it.

"He didn't go with them," Morgana said in that same quiet tone. It was less audible than the whispering but not as quiet, if that made sense. "He actually showed up on the bus yesterday afternoon, as if he'd never planned on going. He didn't talk about it. Actually…he didn't talk at all," she informed Gwen.

"I wonder why he didn't go," Gwen mused at the same level as Morgana but without the taboo tone.

Merlin came into class looking tired and running a hand through his hair while he yawned. Arthur's head snapped up to watch him but he noticed the other students looking at him and quickly went back to preparing for class, though anyone could tell he was already set up and ready. Gwen watched Merlin sit down and Morgana watched Arthur a bit more before they both simultaneously looked at each other.

"You don't think-" Gwen began, her voice softer than before.

Morgana shrugged, her voice lowering with Gwen's. "I don't know. Maybe. Should we ask him later?"

Gwen nodded and they both turned away, as if they hadn't just been talking, to get ready for class. Merlin was half snoozing on his desk, Arthur glancing covertly over at him every few minutes, even after class had started. The minute the teacher came in, Merlin was awake and alert as anyone, maybe more so, and was the perfect student. Arthur had to force himself to keep his attention on the class work.

-

-

"Hey, Merlin," Gwen called as she came over to her locker, which was two down from Merlin's locker, after school that day.

"Hey, Gwen," he greeted in return, putting one last book into his bag before shutting the door and turning to face his friend. "You need something?"

She giggled. "You always know when I want something," she said happily and nodded. "Morgana won't admit it, but she was really worried about Arthur last night. I think she's still reeling from the fact that Arthur could've died last night too. So…I was just wondering if….maybe….you warned him about it?"

Merlin seemed to contemplate her for a long moment and then he nodded. "Yea. I did."

"You did?" Gwen repeated. "And he believed you just like that?" she asked in disbelief.

Merlin laughed once at the expression on her face. "No," he admitted with a shake of his head and a smile on his face. "I really had to beg him not to go. I don't think he was going to listen to me at first, but in the end he told the others to go on without him."

Gwen smiled gently at him. "Thank you for that, Merlin. Morgana might never admit it, but she truly does love Arthur and would be sad if he had died."

Merlin was happy to let Gwen think that Morgana was the reason he told Arthur not to go. It was easier that way. But the truth was that he hadn't really given Morgana all that much thought when he'd rushed off to stop Arthur from getting into that car. He'd only been thinking of Arthur and the person Arthur would become and all the great things he was still meant to do. The future was always changing. If Arthur had gotten into that car, all the wonderful things Merlin had seen and felt would never happen, none of it at all.

"Well if she won't mention it, then I won't say 'you're welcome,'" he joked lightly. Gwen giggled. "Anyway," Merlin started. "I'd best be heading home. I'm supposed to be looking up a part time job today."

Gwen nodded and waved as Merlin began to walk away backwards. " 'Kay! Be safe and good luck!" she called out. He smiled and waved back before turning and walking normally out of the building. Merlin was so nice. Gwen was happy to be his friend.

-

-

Merlin came out of the boys' bathroom still air drying his shirt even though he'd used paper towels and an automatic hand dryer. Some genius thought it would be funny to dump their whole lunch on him. It had been done so obviously on purpose that Merlin wondered why they had even tried to play it off like an accident. It was the first incident of bullying since his top four tormentors had passed away. For awhile there Merlin thought he was off the hook.

"Merlin!" Morgana called out happily as she moved into step with him down the hallway. "You look good today."

"Yep," Merlin agreed with a nod. "You do too," he complimented.

A light blush sprinkled Morgana's cheeks. "So," she started. "You haven't been bullied in over a month. How does that feel?"

Merlin tactfully avoided mentioning the lunch incident. He smiled. "It's great! I mean, I get to go through a whole day without getting thrown in a dumpster or flushed down the toilet or tripped in the hall. You know it's been a whole month and a half since my locker was booby-trapped?" he asked teasingly. Morgana chuckled almost to herself.

"You seem happy," she commented with a smile. "I know this seems really mean but…I'm kind of glad Cedric died." Merlin cast her an almost offended look and she held her hands up. "I know. I know. It's terrible to say that. But you haven't been bullied since, so some good did come of it. I'm not saying it's a good thing he died, just that it had a few good effects. That's all."

Merlin frowned a bit. The bullying wasn't over. He couldn't tell her that. He gave her a slightly encouraging smile. "Don't worry, Morgana. I know what you mean."

She let out a breath, looking relieved. "Good. For a minute there I felt like a jackass."

Merlin laughed outright at her and then, while he took in another breath, paused and looked behind him. He quickly faced forward again and kept walking so Morgana wouldn't ask about it and smiled. "You're funny. Now come on, Gwen needs to borrow ten cents to buy a soda."

"Huh?" Morgana asked and then nodded. "Oh. Sure. I think I've got a dime I can give her."

"You do," Merlin agreed and Morgana pouted.

"Merlin, cut it out!" she protested childishly. "I wanna have some suspense in my life! Geez!"

Merlin laughed again, a long string of giggles, and Morgana half-playfully hit him over the head, which just made him laugh harder. Behind them, a blonde head poked out from around the corner of another hallway, and then Arthur Pendragon leaned back against the wall again. He hit his head on the wall a few times and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Shit."

-

-

On Friday, Merlin walked down the hallway like he always did with Morgana and Gwen when school let out, except today he was alone. He'd told the girls he'd forgotten something in his last class so they should go on without him. He walked slowly until there were only one or two students still wandering the hall and then continued normally toward his locker like it was any other day and he wasn't running five minutes late.

He opened his locker and stuffed his whole bag inside. He needed nothing that was inside it until Monday, so he was just going to leave it in his locker this weekend. He'd left his notebook at home today, so no worries there either. The minute he shut his locker, Merlin found himself suddenly flipped and pinned to the metal cubbies by none other than Arthur Pendragon.

Arthur's voice was quiet, but his face was so close Merlin could almost feel his breath against his own cheek. "You walked slow on purpose," he accused.

Merlin shrugged as best he could with his hands pinned against the lockers. "I had a feeling you had something you wanted to say to me."

Arthur locked eyes with him and simply stared for a few short moments before suddenly pulling Merlin along into an empty classroom and shutting the door behind them. He held on to Merlin's wrist for several seconds after they'd stopped moving and then dropped it like he'd been burned. Merlin waited patiently as Arthur ran his hands through his hair and took deep breaths.

"God I…..I don't know what's wrong with me," Arthur breathed out, turning to face Merlin with an intense look in his eyes that took Merlin's breath away. "I'm just going to say it." He took another deep breath. "You saved my life, Merlin."

Merlin felt butterflies in his stomach when Arthur said his name, and Arthur seemed to pause after the word left his mouth. They stared at each other, both taking in the difference in that one statement.

"Ever since that day I…I can't stop thinking about you," Arthur admitted softly, and that seemed to be the trigger he needed to say the rest of what was on his mind. "Every day, all the time, all I think about is you. Every time I close my eyes, you're there. I…I _dream_ about you. And recently, they've been….well…" Arthur cleared his throat, color dusting his cheeks. "I…I don't know what to do with myself anymore." He shrugged almost forcefully. "I mean, I'm an athlete at the top high school in the city, and soon I'll go to the top college in Camelot as well, but….I want something else too. I want…I want _you_, Merlin."

Merlin felt all the air leave his chest at that. He'd had a good feeling about this talk Arthur wanted to have with him, but it still shocked him that Arthur was confessing this to him.

Arthur wasn't even looking at him anymore. He was pacing. "I want to hold you and protect you. I don't want to bully you anymore! I want to believe in you and have you believe in me and I don't want you to be scared of me and I want to…._cuddle_….with you and….and I want to _kiss_ you…..I want to _be_ with you!" he finished almost forcefully.

If Merlin was being honest with himself, seeing Arthur so flustered was really quite attractive. The usually so composed track star didn't know what to do in a situation like this and Merlin loved him for showing this side of himself.

Arthur was so tense he was shaking as he paced. Merlin smiled and took a step forward; placing his right hand on Arthur's left shoulder. Arthur jumped and looked at him, looking almost pleading for some answer Merlin could give. "Arthur," Merlin said softly. "It took you long enough," he teased.

"You….what?" Arthur threw out, sounding more angry than confused.

Merlin did his best to smile, but he was suddenly so nervous. "I saw you running awhile back and…well…I realized I liked you. And…I….I want to be with you too," he admitted with a blush. "I _like_ you."

Arthur stared at him. The longer he stared the more Merlin's blush grew until he was certain his entire face was bright red. Then, all at once, the information seemed to process and a bright grin grew on the jock's face. Almost immediately after he smiled, though, it vanished and Arthur looked troubled.

"Oh god….I'm gay, aren't I?" he breathed out.

Merlin frowned lightly. "I suppose. Is…is that bad?"

The future was always changing. What if Arthur made a decision to not be with him right now and he lost all he'd seen in Arthur's eyes?

"My father. He hates homosexuals more than anything else in the world," Arthur murmured. "What am I going to do? If you like me and I like you, then I don't want to not try but….Shit. I don't know…"

A light bulb clicked on in Merlin's head. "So he just can't find out, right?" he asked with a smile.

Arthur looked up at him. "Pretty much….why?"

Merlin's smile grew. "I've got an idea."

-

_To be continued…._

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* * *

-

So? What do you all think? A good start to a story that hopefully lives up to it's um..predecessor…sequel…thingamajig?

Reviews are life. I'd hate to die. Lol.


	2. Freshmen Year Part 2

Ok. Just in case you're still reading this **shaza**…or **Child of Pendragon**…or whatever your name is. I figured I would respond.

Ahem...

Thank you for reviewing and letting me know that you liked my story. I don't really consider the Arthur/Morgana pairing myself because I feel it would just be like he was courting his own sister since they grew up together. Also, no, Merlin doesn't have a last name. Sadly, in modern times, everyone needs a last name so many many fans have accepted Emrys to be a last name for Merlin. I know it's another name for Merlin, I'm sure most fans who write him as Merlin Emrys do, but it's convenient and sounds cool. Again, thank you for reading and I hope you continue to like this story. You can skip the really gay parts if that helps. And I apologize if my sister sends/sent you anything nasty or something like that.

* * *

_Seven and a Half Years Ago…._

"You sure about this?"

Merlin sighed, turning from where he'd been watching the scenery fly by to look Arthur in the eyes. Arthur looked nervous and out of place on the train. He kept glancing around like he felt he would be attacked at any moment, and he was fiddling with the fabric of his shirt where it met his fingers.

"I'm sure," Merlin said certainly.

Arthur looked at Merlin then, his expression anxious. "But…"

Merlin closed his eyes. "Arthur, we've been together for a month now, right?"

"Uh-huh," Arthur agreed quietly, not sure where Merlin was going with this.

"I haven't asked you to do anything in this entire month. We haven't even _kissed_. It's all been hand holding, note passing, and a few secret dates to the Classic Café." He opened his eyes again and locked gazes with Arthur. "Don't get me wrong, I've been loving every moment of it. It's exciting and wonderful and I love it when we're together but…Tomorrow is Christmas and if I can't spend it with _your_ family in Camelot then I want you to spend it with _my _family in Ealdor."

Arthur's cheeks colored faintly pink and he glanced away. Sometimes Merlin's eyes were so intense. "I understand that. I do. I feel the same. I'm just not sure you're mother would be ok with you dating someone who locked you in your own locker three days ago." He ran his right hand through his hair nervously.

Merlin smiled. Arthur was so cute. He shrugged. "We have to keep up appearances at school. Mom already knows how your father feels about homosexuals, so a tiny bit of explaining and she'll understand. She takes everything in stride and she typically accepts anything I do."

Arthur nodded and seemed to consider the fabric of the seat for quite some time. Merlin was about to go back to watching the snow covered land outside the window when Arthur looked up at him again. "Does your mother know? About your feelings?"

Merlin blinked at him a few times. "Yes. She's the one who first got me into writing them down." He gave a little smile. "When I was young, she said it was kind of like being a guardian angel, because I could warn people and keep them out of danger. Strange, but they seemed to trust me more when I was a kid. Nowadays, people just think I'm weird or, when they don't listen to me, that I somehow caused the incident myself." He shrugged. "But yea, she knows."

Arthur nodded. "That's good. You have someone who supports you."

Merlin smiled, placing his hand on Arthur's and staring him straight in the eyes. "You support me too." He leaned over and placed a tiny kiss on Arthur's left cheek. "I love you for that."

Arthur blushed bright red and put his free right hand over the place where Merlin's lips had touched. Merlin kept smiling through Arthur's shock and embarrassment. The "L" word always made Arthur blush. They hadn't said 'I love you' to each other yet, but it had only been a month since Arthur had admitted to Merlin, and to himself, that he even liked Merlin in any sort of sexual way whatsoever, so Merlin wasn't expecting anything yet. Actually, Merlin felt like he was cheating a bit, since he knew the future of this relationship and Arthur didn't.

Arthur linked their fingers together but looked away again. At least he didn't seem as nervous anymore. Merlin looked out the window again and tried not to frown.

He loved Arthur. From the bottom of his heart and all through his soul, he loved Arthur. But he felt wrong in his love because he loved Arthur for things he hadn't yet done as well as for the person he was today. Merlin knew how kind and loving and passionate Arthur would be to him in the future. He knew they would stay together for a long long time. He knew Arthur would love him just as deeply as Merlin loved Arthur and that they would say 'I love you' a million times and a million more. Arthur, on the other hand, worried. He worried that his father would find out and he would be left without a home or a family. He worried that Merlin would possibly get bored of him and leave him one day. He worried about opening up to Merlin because he didn't know that Merlin would never leave him. Never. He worried about so many things and Merlin felt guilty because he couldn't share what he'd seen with Arthur, what he'd felt.

But, Merlin supposed, that was the price he had to pay for his confidence. He would just have to believe in Arthur until Arthur learned that Merlin wasn't going anywhere.

_Scene Break_

* * *

_Scene Break_

"Merlin!" Hunith cried happily when she opened the door to find her son on the porch with a duffle bag hooked over one shoulder. She threw her arms around his neck and gave him the tightest hug he'd ever received.

"Hey, mom," he greeted softly, unable to really breathe through her hug.

She pulled back and glanced behind him for Arthur. Merlin had called her and said he was bringing his boyfriend with him and she wanted to know what sort of man Merlin had picked. When she saw him, standing just off the porch and looking nervous again, her mouth fell open in shock.

"Oh my," she let out. "If I were twenty years younger and he were straight," she murmured.

Merlin gaped. "Mom!" he chastised in shock.

She giggled. "I'm teasing," she assured him, though it had been a truthful statement. Arthur grinned and took the two steps up the porch to stand by her. "But truly, he's so handsome!" Hunith complimented. Arthur tried smiling but he found it a bit uncomfortable. Hunith giggled. "Come on in, boys. I've already got dinner started."

Merlin gave Arthur an encouraging smile before heading into the house after his mom, Arthur right on his heels. The living room was pretty much obliterated by the large fir tree standing in the corner by the door. Merlin actually got smacked by a branch on the way in and gasped, falling backwards into Arthur's arms in surprise. Arthur chuckled lowly and Merlin felt it rumble through both their bodies. He blushed and lifted himself out of Arthur's arms gently.

"S-sorry," he apologized superfluously.

Arthur smiled. "It's fine. That tree is a fierce opponent."

Hunith giggled again from the kitchen, which was half visible from the door. Merlin pouted and walked past the tree, heading down the hallway and dropping his stuff in his room. It was the first door on the right and Arthur followed him in, dropping his stuff down next to Merlin's.

"Is this your room?" he asked. The walls were lightly covered in posters of singers and actors, most of which Arthur had never heard of. He supposed none of them were main stream, so he wouldn't hear about them from the popular kids in school. The bed was a twin, covered in dark blue sheets. There was a shelf in the far corner coated several layers thick with books on a variety of subjects. He whistled lowly. "You're quite the reader."

Merlin followed his gaze and grinned. "Yea. I've read pretty much every book in the Ealdor Public Library." Arthur's eyes widened and he stared at Merlin like he had three heads. Merlin shook his head. "It's not that big a deal. Ealdor's library is a lot smaller than any I've seen in Camelot. This town isn't all that big, you know?"

"Yea," Arthur agreed. "The station was barely there."

It was odd to think that they were only a three stops from Camelot by train, only a few hours away by car, and yet there was no chance they would run into anyone from Camelot here. Arthur had been worried, but Merlin assured him that he would keep his senses out for any possible run-ins and he'd keep them out of trouble. He did the same for them every time they were together. Arthur sometimes wondered if purposefully trying to feel the future put a strain on Merlin in any way.

Merlin yawned and stretched his hands up way above his head. Arthur's eyes were caught on the bare skin of Merlin's stomach that was revealed when his shirt rose along with his arms. A moment later, Merlin dropped his arms and the shirt covered his stomach again, and Arthur snapped his eyes up to Merlin's face. "Train rides make me sleepy," he explained, a light blush on his face as he scratched the back of his head in slight embarrassment.

"Merlin! Arthur! Get ready for dinner! It's almost done!" Hunith called from the other room.

Merlin smiled. "I'll give you a quick tour so you don't have to ask later." He moved past Arthur to the bedroom door and pointed to the door directly across from his room. "The main bathroom. Mom's got the master bathroom, so we get this one all to ourselves. We can wash our hands in there before I lead you around the rest of the rooms."

Arthur hated how his mind drifted when Merlin said 'all to ourselves.'

_Scene Break_

* * *

_Scene Break_

Merlin woke up the next morning to a soft alarm coming from his phone. He blearily opened his eyes and stared in front of him, where Arthur lay next to him. A smile graced his lips. Arthur looked so peaceful when he slept.

They had both slept in Merlin's room last night. The bed was too small, so they'd laid a bunch of blankets out on the floor and slept there. Merlin was glad they'd slept in the same 'bed' because it meant he got to see a totally innocent looking Arthur that he'd never ever seen before. But the moment couldn't last.

Merlin reached over to turn off the alarm that kept repeating on his phone and then put his hand on Arthur's shoulder and shook him gently. "Arthur. It's time to wake up," he called softly.

Arthur's breathing hitched for the slightest moment and then his blue eyes slid open and focused slowly onto Merlin's smiling face. His breathing hitched again, but this time for a totally different reason. "Morning," he breathed out.

Merlin's smile grew. "Morning," he responded at the same level. "Guess what?"

"What?" Arthur asked, still whispering. His eyes traveled over Merlin's face slowly and then traveled back to stare him in the eyes.

Merlin felt all warm inside. "It's Christmas."

Arthur grinned. "Yea…It is. And I'm waking up next to you." He shifted a bit so he could touch their foreheads together. "It's a beautiful day."

Merlin blushed. His heart felt like it was about to jump from his chest. "Arthur…," he barely managed to get out. "I-"

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Hunith shouted, rushing into the room.

Merlin jumped into a sitting position, knocking Arthur back just from the force of it all, and glared lightly at his mom. "Mom!" he chastised.

"What?" she asked. "I don't get to do that very oft-oh….Did I interrupt something?" she asked softly. Merlin's cheeks colored and Arthur couldn't look at her. She blushed as well. "Oh…well…I'll just…You two boys come in the kitchen when you're ready, k?" she said as she slowly retreated from the room.

"Yea…sure, mom," Merlin muttered. When she was gone, he sighed and faced Arthur again. "Sorry."

Arthur laughed softly. "No. It's fine." He rolled to lay on his back. "My dad and Morgana are never really excited about Christmas. We have presents and stuff, but none of us have ever really….cheered about it. It's kinda funny to see your mom like that."

Merlin leaned over Arthur on the ground, one elbow bracing him on either side of Arthur's chest, and locked eyes. "We'll cheer every Christmas," he promised quietly.

Arthur gave a little smile. "What? Have you felt it?" he asked quietly.

Merlin shook his head. "No," he said truthfully. "But I can say it'll happen anyway, if you want it to. I'll do anything for you," he promised, in a whisper again.

Arthur's eyebrows came together slightly yet he looked a bit surprised. He was…moved. Merlin leaned his head down a bit, eyes asking for permission. Arthur responded by bracing himself with his arms and pushing up, but they never got their lips together because at that moment the door swung open and they both turned to see who was coming in this time.

"Hey, Merlin! You're mom said you were-" the boy in the doorway stopped, eyes widening as he took in the sight before him. "-busy…," he breathed out in shock.

"Will," Merlin said. At the sound of his voice, the brunette in the doorway turned and walked away, his expression never changing. "Will!" Merlin pushed himself up and off Arthur and rolled away once before getting up, revealing a deep blue sleep shirt and white shorts. He stared at the door almost pathetically for a second and then ran a hand through his hair. "Damn."

"Who's that?" Arthur asked, still on the ground. He felt jipped and bit angry for it. They were about to share their first kiss!

Merlin turned back to look at Arthur. "Will. William Dempsie. We've been friends since we were four." He looked back at the door. "He knows I'm gay but…I don't think he ever really expected to walk in on me and someone else."

Arthur relaxed a bit. A childhood friend. A friend. Will was just a friend. He pushed himself up and stood alongside Merlin. "Right. Let's get dressed and go see what your mother's made us for breakfast. You can check on Will then too," he suggested, tugging on Merlin's sleep shirt halfheartedly.

Merlin gave him a little smile. "Right."

_Scene Break_

* * *

_Scene Break_

Will was monotonously pushing his pancakes around his plate when Merlin and Arthur joined Hunith in the kitchen. Hunith looked up at Merlin, then over to Will, then back at Merlin with a somewhat sheepish look on her face. Merlin smiled to put her more at ease.

"Morning, mum," he greeted, kissing her on the cheek. "You made pancakes?"

She smiled back at him. "Yep. I figured, you haven't been home in awhile and you brought your new boyfriend with you, so it's an extra special occasion." She steadily ignored the way Will dropped his fork. "I've got blueberries if you want some."

Merlin smiled, also trying to ignore Will. "Yea. That'd be great. What about you, Arthur?"

Arthur ripped his eyes away from where Will had frozen, staring at his plate so hard Arthur thought it might break in half soon, to look at Merlin. "Hm?" he asked. Before Merlin could answer, the question managed to register in his brain. "Oh, yea. No. I'll just have mine plain, thanks."

Hunith set to work making the pancakes and Merlin sat down at the table, motioning for Arthur to sit on his right side, since Will was on his left. The remaining seat would be for Hunith, across from Merlin. "Will?" Merlin asked. Will picked up his fork and kept eating. "Will," he tried again as Arthur sat down in his 'assigned' seat. Will glanced up at Arthur and then stared resolutely at his plate again. Merlin sighed. "Will, stop acting like this. You knew I was gay."

"Yea," Will grumbled.

"So what's got you so upset?" Merlin asked. He had mixed feelings about this. Will was probably not going to fully accept Arthur.

"I never thought you'd actually get a boyfriend," Will mumbled after a long pause. Merlin blinked a few times before it sank in.

"What, so you were just thinking I was going to be alone forever?" he asked incredulously.

Will shook his head. "No! I just….I don't know!" He lifted his head to glare at Merlin and Merlin saw through his misdirected anger to something else.

Oh. Oh!

"Listen, Will," Merlin began, wondering exactly how to respond. Will was _jealous_. He'd thought Merlin was going to somehow magically end up with him in the end. Will probably wasn't fully aware of his feelings yet, that's why it wasn't obvious to Merlin before now. "Look, can we talk?"

Merlin stood from the table. Will watched him for a moment before sighing and standing as well, then stalking down the hallway and into Merlin's room. Merlin cast Arthur an apologetic look and followed quickly after him. The moment his bedroom door was shut, Will turned to face him.

"Will-"

"Tell me about him," Will demanded quietly.

Merlin paused. "Well…He's nervous about everything, because he's just recently realized he's gay. At school, he's always been a kind of big shot 'I'm in charge' kind of guy, so seeing him nervous is kinda sweet," Merlin revealed. "He's on the track team, so he likes to run…I saved him from getting into a car wreck, and that's how we really actually met for the first time."

"Huh?" Will grunted out, looking upset. Merlin could understand. Will liked him and here he was telling him the good points of another man. But hey, Will had asked.

"I'd seen him, and he'd seen me, before, and we even kinda talked once or twice…but I wouldn't call those moments really meeting him because it really amounted to the same thing as someone you don't know asking to borrow a pencil in class," he tried to explain. Telling Will that Arthur used to bully him, and still did, would not earn Arthur any points in Will's book.

"Huh," Will let out, looking away.

Merlin sighed. "He's a great guy, Will," he tried. "I've felt it ever since I saw him for the first time at school. His heart is gentle and he really means the best. I…I wish you could've seen what I saw in his eyes."

Will's head snapped back to Merlin. "Saw?" he gasped out. "Y-you…you saw?"

Merlin nodded slowly. "Yea. I saw his future a few days before I told him about the car accident. He's going to do amazing things with his life."

Will stared at Merlin for a long while, completely silent. "So…have you ever…seen anything about _me_?"

Merlin stared at Will sadly. He looked normal, except for the pleading look in his eyes. Will wanted Merlin to say yes because it would give him at least a bit of footing on the level Arthur had in Merlin's heart. Merlin shook his head slowly. "No." Will deflated and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry, Will. I've only ever seen Arthur's future. He's…he's special."

"Yea," Will bit out. "Yea I get it. Enjoy your pancakes."

Without waiting for Merlin to respond, Will was out of the bedroom and Merlin had barely managed to follow him when he shut the front door behind him. Merlin sighed again and turned to see Athur and Hunith staring from where the divider wall between the kitchen and living room ended. He gave a half-hearted smile.

"He'll be ok," he promised. Will would be back today, no more accepting of Arthur than he was just now, but in a better mood. Will was never going to accept Arthur. Ever. But he would ignore his distaste because he knew Merlin cared for Arthur so much and Will wanted to stay a part of Merlin's life. Merlin wished he could change that, but he couldn't. "He'll be back for dinner."

"He didn't say that, did he?" Arthur asked solemnly. Merlin shook his head. "Ok."

Hunith frowned. "Your pancakes are on the table," she said as a sort of conversation changer.

Merlin gave a little happier smile. "Thanks."

_Scene Break_

* * *

_Scene Break_

The rest of the day went fine. Hunith had bought Merlin a simple leather band to go around his wrist and a long-sleeved blue shirt. And a kiss on the cheek. Merlin gave her a nice, warm jacket and a simple yet beautiful painting of the beach.

"Since you never really get to go," he'd said.

Merlin gave Arthur a winter hat and a simple chain bracelet. Arthur gave Hunith a set of oven mitts with an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry…I'm not very good at the whole 'gift' thing," he explained lamely. Hunith smiled and gave him a big hug.

He gave Merlin a set of new notebooks since Merlin had mentioned his old one was nearly full. He also apologized that he couldn't buy Merlin anything fancier since they couldn't be open about their relationship.

After the gifts were handed out, all three of them sat on Hunith's couch and watched 'Love Actually' together. Merlin's favorite story was the one with the writer and his housekeeper. Arthur's favorite was the one with the Prime Minister and one of his workers. Hunith's was the one about the little boy who liked the coolest girl in school.

Merlin took Arthur on a short tour of the neighborhood after that. They held hands as they walked and Arthur couldn't stop the feeling of amazement that spread through him at that thought. They were only four hours by car from Camelot, and yet here they could be so much more open with each other.

"So what did your father think?" Merlin asked randomly as they were headed back to his house.

Arthur sighed. "He thought it reflected badly on the family for his son to not be home for Christmas, but gave me his best wishes."

"Well then, tell him Roger is sorry for breaking up the family on such an important holiday," Merlin joked lightly.

Arthur had told his father that a friend of his from elementary school that he'd kept in contact with over the computer had invited him to spend Christmas with his family up in Capris, a city much farther north than Ealdor or Camelot. Luckily, Arthur really did know a guy named Roger in Capris, they had just never been friends in elementary school. They'd been in the same class once in middle school, but they never spoke.

"I really don't think he'll care," Arthur admitted as they walked onto the porch of Merlin's mother's house.

Arthur turned to face Merlin, so Merlin reciprocated by facing Arthur. He waited patiently for Arthur to say something, knowing that Arthur had wanted to ever since he saw Will this morning. Arthur opened his mouth and Merlin sighed just as the door opened and Hunith came rushing out. She nearly ran right into them, her eyes wide, but managed to stop just before.

"Oh!" she gasped. "Oh jeez, I've interrupted something again, haven't I?"

Merlin smiled. "Maybe."

Hunith looked heartbroken. "I am so sorry," she gushed. "But I looked at the clock and Arthur's train leaves soon, doesn't it?" she asked, looking from her son to Arthur's face.

Arthur glanced at his watch and grimaced. "Oh, you're right." He sighed. "I guess time's up."

"I wish you could stay longer," Merlin murmured, looking at the ground. It wasn't going to happen.

Arthur took Merlin's chin in his right hand and gently lifted Merlin's head so they were staring into each other's eyes. Hunith glanced from Arthur to Merlin and made a swift exit, leaving them alone on the porch. "Me too," Arthur replied in the same tone of voice.

Arthur took a deep breath, then leaned forward and claimed Merlin's lips with his own. Merlin had never kissed anyone before, but Arthur had so the kiss wasn't sloppy. It felt like they'd been meant to kiss, like they fit perfectly together and no one else would ever fit in their places. Merlin was certain this was what people called 'fate.' They were what people called 'soul mates.' Merlin kissed back just as passionately as Arthur was. Arthur let go of Merlin's chin and instead wrapped that hand around the back of Merlin's neck, his free hand going around Merlin's back and pulling him closer.

If the kiss itself was sudden, the way it ended was slow. Both Arthur and Merlin pulled back at the same time as if in slow motion and stared at each other in the eyes.

"_I love you"_

Merlin's eyes widened slightly at the words in his head.

_Cell phone calls and lunch in cafes. Walks in Drake Park on weekday afternoons. Arthur, crossing the finish line and a million plus people cheering from the stands and their living rooms. He kisses the ring on his right ring finger and punches the air. Will throwing something away angrily and shouting. The beach, with waves crashing along the shore and the rocks. A wall of trophies, all with Arthur's name on them. Snuggling on the couch at Gaius' house and watching a movie. Fireworks._

Merlin shook his head to clear away the images and kissed Arthur again, shutting his eyes for a brief moment while their lips were connected again, and then opening them when he pulled away two seconds later. Arthur looked a bit shocked, but smiled.

"I take it you liked it?" he asked.

Merlin smiled, forcing what he'd seen away for now. "You're an excellent kisser. I wouldn't mind doing that again next time we see each other," he added teasingly. He nodded towards the front door. "Now go, get your stuff. You don't want to miss your train and have your father get suspicious."

Arthur grinned. "Right." He leaned in and pecked Merlin on the cheek before heading inside to grab his stuff.

Merlin held his head with one hand. Arthur's eyes were like a key to the future. How far had he seen this time? Arthur crossing the finish line had to have been several years down the road. He'd looked about twenty five. But the rest of it had seemed a bit closer to now, if not by much. Still, one thing was for sure: Arthur loved him. They were going to love each other so passionately and Merlin was going to be so happy every day that he wasn't going to know what to do with himself.

He smiled and let out a laugh. They would be happy together. Everything was going to work out in the end. They could do this.

He heard footsteps and released his head, turning a bit to face the door as Arthur came back out with his bag over his shoulder. They'd only had one day of freedom together, but Merlin couldn't feel bad about it, knowing what he knew about the future to come. He gripped Arthur's left hand in both of his own and smiled at Arthur brightly.

"Merry Christmas," he said. "Have a nice trip back. I'll see you in a week."

"You bet you will," Arthur responded almost smugly. He pulled Merlin into a fierce hug that lasted for nearly a full minute and then headed down the steps and toward the street. "Bye!" He waved.

Merlin waved back. Once Arthur was out of sight, Merlin dropped his hand and placed both of his hands on his hips. This was going to be quite a relationship. He couldn't wait!

_Scene Break_

* * *

_Scene Break_

A week later and Merlin couldn't be happier to be back at school. Sure, he loved spending time with his mom and checking out his hometown, but Will had been nearly insufferable. He'd pouted all through dinner Christmas evening, and then ignored Merlin for two days even as they stood right next to each other. After that, the week had gotten a bit better…until Merlin told his mom and Will about the arrangement he and Arthur had to keep his father from finding out about them, and his and Arthur's past together.

Will had been furious, his mother shocked. Hunith said she trusted Merlin's decisions and let it go at that, but Will had ranted for an hour about what an asshole and user Arthur was and _how dare he_! Easy to say, Merlin was not too upset when the day came for him to go back to Camelot and face school and bullies again. He knew Will would have calmed down next time he and Arthur went to Ealdor, but that didn't stop him from feeling bad about the sour note they'd said goodbye on.

"Merlin!" Gwen called, sounding like a pleasant wind chime. She hurried across the school courtyard to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I missed you so much! How was your break?"

He grinned as she let go. "I missed you too, Gwen. Ealdor was great. It was nice to see all my old friends again and see how things have changed in the past six months. How was yours?"

She shrugged. "Same old. Dad's still trying to find himself a new wife, so we had a lady named Victoria over for Christmas dinner. He'll never find someone though as long as he's still hooked on mom," she explained with a sigh, releasing Merlin's shoulders and taking a step back. "It was still kinda fun anyway, though."

"What's wrong with staying in love with the same person you always loved, even if they've passed away?" Merlin asked gently.

Gwen frowned. "Well, nothing, I guess. But if that's how it's going to be then he should just stop bringing women home for dinner, you know?"

Merlin shook his head. "Gwen, you've got to stop taking everything I say so seriously. One of these days I'm going to tell you something and I won't have felt _anything _about it, and you'll take it seriously and be disappointed when it doesn't happen."

Gwen shrugged. "I don't know. It's just easier to think you wouldn't lie to me."

Merlin shrugged too. "Yea. I guess you're right."

"You guys! Come on! You'll be late for class!" Morgana called out from the doors of the hallway where their first class was together.

"Coming!" Merlin called, motioning for Gwen to follow before rushing over to Morgana.

No sooner had he passed into the hallway did he feel it, and his heart sped up when he realized what it meant.

**Skip this next part if the more graphic stuff bugs you.**

_Scene Break_

* * *

_Scene Break_

**Skip this next part if the more graphic stuff bugs you.**

Merlin could sense it. It was a feeling overpowering his senses. It was hard to concentrate on classes or people when all he wanted was to feel this immense emotion flow over him. Once or twice, Merlin was certain that Morgana and Gwen had attempted to talk to him, but his mind really just wasn't there. He needed to get out of this classroom! Time needed to move faster!

Bing bing…bing!

Merlin's head snapped up to the clock when the bell rang and quickly shoved his notebook in his bag, picking it up off the floor and swinging it onto his back before attempting to walk from the room with the crowd without seeming to be in a hurry. He walked down a hallway and turned away from the lunch room, where everyone else was headed. Just as he was passing the door to a classroom, a hand shot out and ripped him inside, the door shutting behind him.

The room was dark, all the blinds closed and the lights off, but Merlin didn't need to see to know who had him. Lips were on his and the kiss was the most passionate and intense he'd ever imagined, let alone experienced. Arthur pushed him against the wall, trapping Merlin with his body and pressing their chests together as close as he could. They kissed until the need for air was just too great and then Arthur broke away just far enough to let air get between their lips.

"Arthur," Merlin panted, eyes half-lidded.

Arthur smiled. "I knew you would find me," he breathed out.

Merlin smiled as well and then they were kissing again. Arthur licked across Merlin's lips and Merlin opened them to allow Arthur's tongue inside. It was hot; hotter than Merlin thought it would be. He fought Arthur in a vain attempt at dominance with his own tongue, though he knew he would give in to Arthur in the end. But the battle was thrilling anyway.

The week apart seemed only to have intensified their feelings and Arthur moved from Merlin's mouth to his neck, licking down to where his collarbone was hidden by his shirt and pressing his hands up under Merlin's shirt on his stomach. Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur's back and up to gently grip Arthur's hair in his fingers. Arthur pulled his face from Merlin's shoulder but continued feeling sensually all around Merlin's torso as he locked eyes with his boyfriend.

"God, I've wanted to touch you since Christmas," he breathed out in a deep, husky voice.

Merlin gulped, trying to clear the sudden knot in his throat. Oh man, he was _so _turned on right now! "Arthur," he managed, his own voice just as deep. "I….We…" It was hard to formulate words when Arthur's hands were steadily tracing up his sides and along the planes of his stomach up and up until- "Ooooh….," he moaned out, biting his lip to keep quiet when Arthur's hands found his nipples.

"Please," Arthur begged in a dark voice. "Can I-" he cut off abruptly, knowing Merlin understood what he was asking anyway.

Merlin managed to nod his head. "Y-yes. Yes, Arthur."

Arthur kissed Merlin hard on the mouth and ground their hips together, catching both their moans in each others' mouths to keep quiet, then backed off just enough to fit his hand down between their bodies and undid the buttons of Merlin's jeans. Merlin's eyes fluttered shut, his head falling back against the stone wall of the classroom.

Always. Always yes.

* * *

So yea....That was...I actually blushed quite a bit writing that, knowing other people were going to read it.

Let me know what you think and tell me any moments in Arthur and Merlin's relationship that you would like to see. I'll be without a computer for a week, so it'll be at least that long until the next update. Still, feedback is really important and fuels my imagination. I love you all!

Also, why does fanfiction .net suddenly hate me? It won't let me make my scene breaks like I usually do. I had to use actual words for it to stick. All my symbols just kept vanishing. Now I don't even know how to write expressions, like pout or cry or smile, you know? Urgh.


	3. Freshmen Year Part 3

Sorry! Sorry! I meant to post this forever ago but I was struggling with Part 4 and I didn't want to post and then make you guys wait, but then I just ended up making you guys wait for Part 3. Urgh!

Anyway, I hope you like this new addition! This wraps up Freshmen Year and Part 4 begins Sophomore Year.

...

_Seven and a half years ago….._

It was February 14th. Ever since that first hand job in an empty classroom back at the beginning of January, Arthur had seemed to be pretty sure of himself in his sexuality. Whenever he could, he was pulling Merlin into random classrooms and kissing him breathless, touching him all over, and generally exploring the depths of what being gay with Merlin entailed. They had yet to go on a date, but Merlin wasn't really in a hurry with that.

Today being Valentine's Day, Merlin had decided that he should do something special for Arthur…so….He'd made the track star homemade chocolates. Gaius had tried one, as had Merlin, and they'd both agreed it tasted really good, so now came the time when Merlin was presenting them to Arthur. All day, Merlin had seen girls hand Arthur boxes of chocolates and he had accepted them with a charming smile. It wasn't that Merlin was nervous about Arthur not liking his chocolate - he'd felt good about the whole thing so no worries there…He was just worried Arthur wouldn't like it as much as the ones the girls had given him.

"Merlin, where are we going?" Arthur asked in something very akin to a whine. Merlin giggled under his breath at Arthur's childish side and continued to lead Arthur by the arm down the streets through the lower class areas. "We're way out now."

"Arthur, with your brains, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out," Merlin teased. "What reason could I have for bringing you into the lower income part of town?"

Arthur shrugged. He'd hoped Merlin was taking him somewhere romantic or something. Instead he was in the area of town where all the poor people lived, and by 'poor' he meant 'people who can't afford what he can.' He watched Merlin's hand on his arm as they walked, and followed his arm to his shoulders and his back. He'd never really seen Merlin without his clothes on, given when they could get together, but his hands had mapped the place between Merlin's shoulder blades and he knew the curve of Merlin's body and the dip at the small of his back. Under those clothes was a beautiful body that Arthur loved to hold close to him and-

"Arthur?"

"Hm?" Arthur asked, snapping from his daze and focusing on the back of Merlin's head.

"You really can't figure it out?" Merlin asked, sounding like he'd asked it before. "Maybe you don't deserve your valentine's gift…," he trailed off.

Arthur had a mini panic attack. "No, that's alright. I'll figure it out," he assured his younger boyfriend.

He placed his free left hand on his chin and looked around the area, trying to figure out why they were here. No matter what he did, though, he couldn't seem to get it. Why were they in the poorer half of town? He stared hard at the back of Merlin's head, trying to squeeze a clue from his black hair, and suddenly it hit him.

"You live around here?" he asked in surprise.

Merlin smiled but did not look back at Arthur as he answered. "Yep. To you, this place probably looks like the slums, but it's actually what the middle-class population lives like. You, Arthur Pendragon, are in the minority in your rich little world." He wasn't upset about it, but it was true nonetheless.

"So we're going to your house," Arthur stated aloud, now a bit nervous. He'd already met Merlin's mother and best friend, now Merlin was taking him to meet his uncle. Whoo. As far as Merlin had explained the old man, he was a kind and gentle person who nonetheless had strict rules of conduct and got verbally loud and upset when they were broken. Since the elderly man wasn't upset by Merlin and Arthur's relationship, even after Merlin explained the relationship they'd had before they got together, this _should_ go quite well.

Then they were before it. Merlin's house. Well, Merlin's uncle's house. It was a faded white color and squeezed in close to the houses around it. Actually, the buildings were pretty much smack dab on top of each other. The houses on either side of Merlin's were both a strange brown-red color, so Merlin's house seemed really bright in comparison. There were two windows on the front, one on either side of the front door, which was a deep blue color. The lawn in front of Merlin's house was well-manicured and very nice, but the house to the right had a brown, dead, icky looking yard that kind of killed the view. Actually….

"Oh my god," he gasped out. "What is that?"

"Hm?" Merlin turned to look at his neighbor's yard and blinked a few times. "An old meth lab?" he answered as a question, seemingly not phased in the least by it. A skinny, fairly ugly woman opened the door next door and tossed something or other into the pile of broken drug stuff in the middle of the yard. "Afternoon, Mrs. Collins!" he called cheerfully.

She turned to look at them and Arthur flinched, moving closer to Merlin. She narrowed her eyes at them for several long seconds and then gave a twisted, creepy grin. "Oh. Yea. You. Hi," she greeted, her voice raspy. She pointed vaguely to Arthur and Arthur wondered if maybe she was high at that very moment. He'd never seen anyone high before. "Who's this?"

"This is Arthur. He's a friend from school," Merlin said loudly and clearly, so she could understand him, then touched Arthur's shoulder and whispered, "Say 'hi.'"

Arthur glanced from Merlin to Ms. Collins and back again before bowing his head. "Hello, Mrs. Collins."

She snorted. "My name is Mary, boy….My son is your age….," she trailed off oddly and stared at the sky with an odd look on her face, somewhere between confusion, anger, and awe.

Merlin whispered to Arthur again. "Her son would be twenty-eight in a week, but he died from drug overdose when he was fifteen. I'm trying to get her off the drugs herself and get her some help. I think it's going very well. This is her first time high in four days. Her husband is a bit harder to crack, but I have a good feeling about it," he said with a wink.

Arthur smiled. If Merlin was optimistic about it, then the situation could only end well, right?

Merlin turned his attention back to the older woman. "It was nice talking to you, Mrs. Collins. Say hello to your husband for me, would you?"

Mary jumped and focused on Merlin for awhile before nodding. "Yea. Yea. Sure. Right."

"Come on, Arthur," Merlin ordered lightly, opening the door to his house and ushering Arthur inside. Arthur waved to Mary and then hurried inside. Merlin shut the door behind them and called out, "Gaius, we're here!"

There was a light crashing sound, more of a series of thuds, and a moment later a man with gray, balding hair came from down the hallway and appeared with them in the living room. "Merlin! This must be Arthur, then," he said, looking Arthur over as if checking a piece of meat he meant to buy at the store. He had a strange eyebrow thing going on that made Arthur think maybe he disapproved. "I suppose if you live up to how Merlin's described you, then you're alright."

Merlin flushed. "Uncle," he whined very softly, almost under his breath. He smiled uneasily at Arthur and then cleared his throat. "You didn't move my gift, did you?" he asked his uncle.

Gaius shook his head. "Nope. It's on the counter, right where you left it." He motioned to the kitchen and Merlin smiled, disappearing through a veritable hole in the wall that led to the kitchen. "So, I hear you still bully him at school," Gaius began while Merlin was gone. "Nothing too terrible, I hope."

Arthur shrugged. "The other guys seem to think it's terrible enough, but I haven't physically hurt him since we got together, if that's what you mean."

Gaius 'hmm'd. "Well, I suppose that is the point of it, after all. Ah," he let out when Merlin came back in the room and held out a small Tupperware container wrapped in red wrapping paper covered in hearts.

He was blushing. "Ah, sorry about the paper. It was the only thing I could find yesterday." It wasn't that he thought using valentine's day paper was bad, just that this particular paper also had an abundance of cute little cherubs all over it shooting arrows and the hearts were pretty much drawings of a frilly mess.

Arthur tried to ignore the paper and quickly ripped it off the Tupperware. With the paper gone, Arthur opened the Tupperware and blinked several times at what was inside. After a few long moments, Arthur picked one out and stared at it. "Chocolate?"

"Made it myself," Merlin announced, clearly proud of his work. "It actually tastes pretty good, too. Eat some."

Arthur shrugged and popped the bite sized hunk of chocolate in his mouth. He began to chew it and then abruptly stopped. Whoa! This stuff was really really good! Arthur tried to keep the bite in his mouth as long as possible, but it melted pretty fast and he was forced to finish it off. Merlin had this beaming smile on his face, so Arthur guessed that his reaction to the chocolate had been easily picked up on by his psychic boyfriend.

"It's really very good," Arthur admitted, taking another piece and popping it into his mouth too. Merlin bounced on the balls of his feet and then giddily wrapped his arms around Arthur's shoulders in a tight and quick hug. Merlin pecked him on the cheek and then backed away. "That makes it even better," Arthur joked with a laugh. Gaius and Merlin joined in.

"Well then," Gaius said when the laughter had died down. "It being Valentine's Day and all, I'll get out of your way and let you celebrate it." He grabbed his jacket off the back of the couch and moved to the door.

"Uncle Gaius," Merlin called just before the old man was out of the house. Gaius looked back at him and raised an eyebrow; the disapproving one. "Where are you headed?"

Gaius shrugged. "Perhaps I'll go spend some time with my colleagues in a bar some place," he joked.

Merlin shook his head. "Don't go getting drunk. I can't come pick you up if you do," he said seriously.

Gaius shook his head. "Don't worry about me, Merlin. I'll be fine. Enjoy your evening. Don't do anything too drastic." He waved and then was gone from the house.

Merlin frowned at the door, staring at it hard, and Arthur stayed silent until the shadows had lifted from Merlin's face and he seemed to be breathing easier. "He's going to be fine," Merlin said when he noticed Arthur's questioning look. "They're going to play cards all night. A bit of friendly poker."

"Ah," Arthur consented and looked down at the Tupperware of chocolates. His eyebrows came together and he looked up at Merlin again. "Did you know that I would like your chocolates?"

Merlin shook his head gently and moved to sit on the couch, holding himself in place with both his hands between his legs on the edge of the cushion. He closed his eyes. "I had this feeling…that you were going to get something you liked today. Something you liked a lot. But you were getting so many gifts today that….I really had no idea if it was _my_ gift that was going to make you smile." He opened his eyes and focused on Arthur, who was still standing.

Arthur grinned. "So," he began, sitting down next to Merlin and placing his right hand over both of Merlin's while he held the chocolates in his left. "You get nervous too. I was beginning to think I was the only one in this relationship who did."

Merlin gave a lopsided grin. "Contrary to what you, and Gwen and Morgana, might think…I don't know everything," he admitted. "I just tend to comment on everything I do know, so it seems that way." He glanced at the floor, his smile turning quite soft. "Actually….I know quite a bit of _your_ life, Arthur."

Arthur wasn't sure how to respond to that. "You…What do you mean?"

Merlin took a deep breath and gave Arthur a big smile. "Ah, forget I said anything. Talking about it too much is bad, anyway. What do you want to do for the rest of the day?"

Arthur frowned. That wasn't fair! He wanted to know what Merlin had felt about him! He wanted to know! If Merlin knew, then Arthur wanted to know! Then again, he kind of understood where Merlin was coming from. If Arthur knew, say, how well he was going to do on his next Algebra test and Merlin said he would do well, then maybe he wouldn't study as hard because he would think he was going to pass with flying colors, and that would lead to him getting a worse grade on the test. That was something pretty small scale, so Arthur could imagine what might happen should Merlin tell him what he was going to do with his life or how long this relationship was going to last.

Speaking of this relationship….

Arthur leaned over and kissed Merlin's forehead. "Don't tease me," he breathed out. "I'll get curious." He kissed Merlin's nose and Merlin went cross eyed trying to watch him. Arthur grinned and kissed Merlin on the lips for only a moment before pulling back. "I don't mind learning about my life the slow way though, as long as you're here to keep things interesting."

Merlin kissed him. "You want interesting, hm?" He kissed him again. "How's this for interesting?" He rubbed his nose against Arthur's in an Eskimo kiss.

Arthur laughed once. "Interesting? More like silly. Come on, let's go catch a movie," he offered. "I'll buy."

Merlin blinked twice, slowly, before a smile lit his face. "The Isle Theatre has a midnight showing of Queen of the Damned tonight."

Arthur laughed. "A vampire movie for Valentine's Day? Now that _is_ interesting," he agreed. He gave Merlin a quick peck on the lips. "At least there's no chance of running into someone we know there. The Isle Theatre is almost in Mora."

Mora was the next town over. It had nothing special in it that would attract many people. Its only selling point was the Isle Theatre just outside its city limits and its close proximity to Camelot. Tourists to Camelot often bought hotel rooms in Mora for the cheaper prices and then spent all their time out of the city exploring the theme parks, museums, shops, and other attractions in Camelot. It was a tiny, nearly backwater town with a population of only about 300 people. It was perfect.

"Before we go, since we have some time," Arthur said after a pause, "we should probably finish off these wonderful chocolates you made for me."

Merlin's smile was blinding. "You really like them a lot?"

Arthur nodded. "I wouldn't lie to you about something like that," he said seriously, his gaze piercing Merlin down through the soul. They simply stared at each other for several long moments and then Arthur grinned. "You could probably feel me out if I did anyway," he added lightly with another laugh.

Merlin suddenly grabbed the Tupperware from Arthur and snagged a bite sized chocolate for himself. "I claim one for myself!" he grinned. "I only got to eat like…one piece when I first made them," he complained light-heartedly.

Arthur got a strange look in his eyes that Merlin didn't notice until he'd already placed a chocolate in his mouth, and by then it was too late. He gently took hold of Merlin's face in both his hands and kissed him full on the mouth. When Arthur ran his tongue over Merlin's lips, Merlin didn't even bother fighting him and simply opened his mouth and let Arthur's tongue inside. The Tupperware container slid to the cushion of the couch and then down to the floor, luckily not tipping over or losing even one piece of chocolate. Arthur pushed against Merlin just enough so that Merlin laid down on the couch with his legs still hanging off the edge and ran both his hands down Merlin's chest slowly and sensually over his clothes.

The chocolate was passed from Merlin's mouth to Arthur's easily with Arthur's tongue and he pulled away a bit to give it a few chews and then swallowed, a smirk on his lips at how flushed and uncomfortable Merlin looked in his own skin. The track star of Camelot High leaned down next to Merlin's ear and breathed out, "You know what? I think it tastes even better this way….very….you."

Merlin swallowed, his breathing becoming heavier. God, did Arthur know how hot he was? The places where Arthur's fingers were touching him, even through his shirt, were burning up and he really wanted Arthur's hands down his pants like _now_. "Arthur…," he groaned out when Arthur began licking his ear. He tugged on Arthur's shirt uselessly. Arthur's hands drifted down until his fingers were grazing the minute sliver of skin showing on Merlin's stomach just above his jeans. The fingers skimmed over Merlin's skin and grazed his jeans and his belt buckle as Arthur's licking trailed from his ear across his jaw and then down his neck to the collar of his shirt. "Now you're teasing _me_…," Merlin groaned out.

Arthur let out a breathy laugh that sent shivers across Merlin's body as it hit the wet lines Arthur's tongue had left. "Not for long," he promised, his voice deeper than usual. "I'm not much good at waiting."

It was a good thing the movie was at midnight.

...

Merlin slid into his chair in first period the next morning and almost immediately let his head drop to the desk, blocking out all light with his arms. He was left to his own blissful dosing for about four seconds before he heard the giggling. He turned his head just enough to glance Morgana grinning at him over his left arm.

"_What_, Morgana? I'm _tired_…," he whined, turning back to the darkness of his arms.

Morgana giggled again. "Goodness _me_, Merlin. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had a real busy night yesterday with someone." Merlin groaned into the wood of his desk. Morgana giggled again. "Not that you _did_, obviously. I mean, being one of your _best friends_, I figure you would tell me if you were going to _do the deed_ and all."

Merlin was glad his face was hidden in his arms. That way, Morgana couldn't see the shame on his face. No, Arthur and him still hadn't done '_it'_….but he still wasn't telling Morgana about their relationship and he wasn't going to tell her when he and Arthur finally did get around to 'doing the deed.' No matter how he tried, he couldn't sense anything about how she would react to learning about it. He couldn't foresee the time when she would learn about it, so it must be a long ways off.

His silence seemed to have gotten to her. "You _would_ tell me, wouldn't you? I mean, you would at least introduce me to her first, right?"

Aha! Merlin turned his head enough that she could see him smile. "Yea. I'd make sure you'd been introduced before I made any sort of move in that direction." He wasn't lying. Morgana knew Arthur. They'd been introduced a long time ago.

Morgana took a deep breath to calm herself. "Good. You had me worried there for a minute." She glanced at the students in the room and watched as her brother stumbled in. "Really," she scoffed, propping her chin in her hands after he'd walked by and staring at him out of the corner of her eye despondently. "He didn't come home from school yesterday afternoon, did you know?" she complained. "He was out all afternoon without a single phone call or message and he stayed out until two in the morning," she continued, her tone acidic.

Merlin made a 'hmm' noise deep in his throat, matching Morgana's pose and glancing back at Arthur as he set up for class. He didn't let the purr of his heart show on his face. In fact, he looked quite bored outwardly. "I guess that makes two of us," he murmured.

"What?"

Merlin turned to face Morgana's wide eyes. "I was up til two as well, watching movies," he explained, a yawn splitting his face the moment he was done talking. He rubbed his eyes with his free left hand absently and then ran both hands down his face in an attempt to wake up. "I could use some caffeine."

"Well then, I came in at the perfect time," a cheerful voice announced.

Merlin and Morgana looked up just as Gwen sat a can of Mountain Dew on Merlin's desk. "Gwen, what-?"

"I brought that from home today, but I'm not thinking I need it today so you can have it," she explained, her tone chipper and her speech quick. Yea. She didn't need the caffeine. Merlin was staring at the can like he could only half see it sitting there on his desk and Gwen's smile vanished. "Did…did you not know I was going to give it to you?"

Merlin visibly flinched and grabbed the can, staring at his desk as he drank a large gulp of it down all at once. He didn't stop until the whole can had been drained. The can made a hollow 'tink' sound against the wood. He still didn't look up from his desk. Gwen gave Morgana a worried glance.

"He didn't get to sleep until two a.m. last night," Morgana explained. "He's probably too asleep to feel anything at all of his _own_, let alone something supernatural about _you_."

"Yea," Merlin murmured, his head going down on the desk again, the can still in his hand. "Yea, that's it." He wrapped his arms around his head again, the can lying sideways on the desk now since he wouldn't let it go.

After several moments of silence, Gwen ventured a, "Merlin?" but got no response. She smiled. "He's asleep," she whispered to Morgana.

Morgana shook her head. "You don't get to sleep in the front row," she chastised the air. "But I suppose I'll let him sleep until class starts."

Gwen gave a soft giggle and moved to take her seat on the other side of Morgana in the front row. Morgana gave Merlin a gentle smile and turned to converse with Gwen. Arthur glanced up from his notebook at Merlin's sleeping form, and then looked back down at the blank paper in front of him with a little smile.

"Valentine's Day," he murmured, pulling a chocolate hand-wrapped in tinfoil from his jacket pocket. He just stared at it for a few moments before slipping it back in his pocket silently.

...

That school year passed without much incident. The memory of Cedric's death, and the death of most of his lackeys, was still too fresh in the minds of the students for any of them to really bully Merlin. He wasn't worth it at the moment. Gwen, Morgana, Merlin, and Arthur all passed on to the tenth grade and became sophomores at Camelot High School.

That summer, Merlin and Arthur went backpacking together. They traveled all over the country of Albion, way up into the mountains to ski and to the far beaches to swim. Alone together, Arthur revealed to Merlin a side of himself that made Merlin melt and fall for him all over again: a sweet, gentle side that really wasn't sure what to do with himself and was still confused about who he was and who he would become. Learning more about Arthur was Merlin's favorite part of the whole summer.

Arthur's favorite part was a bit different. He loved it when Merlin randomly stopped what he was doing and helped someone out because he just knew they needed it. He'd helped a girl with her skis because otherwise she would've forgotten one of the straps and hurt herself later. He'd warned a store owner that someone was going to try and steal from him and the owner was on high alert and caught the kids responsible. He found a puppy and gave it back to the boy who'd lost it. He spent an afternoon with an old woman, letting her tell him stories about her children and grandchildren and great grandchildren, until she died quietly that night in her sleep.

So, it was quite an interesting summer. Merlin hung out with Morgana and Gwen in the week before school started up again, and Arthur began studying for his new classes under the careful eye of his father. Morgana always seemed to be done with her studies but Arthur never seemed to catch his breath. Still, it was the normal routine for the children of Uther Pendragon, and so life went on.

That was how Merlin Emrys and Arthur Pendragon began their sophomore year at Camelot High School.


	4. Sophomore Year Part 1

A note to Tuke:

Yea….the scene break thing was caused by this site. I used to have dashes, sets of them, breaking scenes up and stuff. For some reason, I guess this site decided not to let people use dashes any more. When I realized what was happening, I started putting the dots instead.

* * *

(Note: In this part, I kind of bend time a bit with the concert. The actual dates were from April to June, but I stretched it to October. Just go with it.)

_Seven Years Ago…._

_August, 2002_

..

The minute Arthur walked into the school, everyone noticed him. With his father's recent promotion and the deaths of Cedric, Jared, Meko, and Charles, Arthur had inherited the title of Most Influential Student…or something. Everyone wanted to be a part of his clique.

Everyone wanted to be part of Morgana's clique too, until they learned that she hung out with the two poorest students in the school.

"Really," Morgana would say when someone walked away after meeting Merlin and Gwen, "You would think people would _want_ to be friends with the two smartest people in school."

"Morgana," Gwen would disagree quietly with a blush and a shake of her head.

Merlin didn't care either way. He had Morgana and he had Gwen and he had a feeling that they would be the only two friends he would have in this high school. And he had Arthur. Arthur couldn't do anything with him until the fame died down a bit, but Merlin knew that Arthur would come to him when he could and when he was sure no one would find out.

People might see the way their relationship was laid out as selfish on Arthur's part, because Merlin had to lie to his friends so that Arthur could keep his status and money, but it wasn't. If any of Arthur's new fans found out about Merlin's relationship with Arthur, he could find himself in quite a lot of pain, or even death. And if no one at school found out, there was still the danger of Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon. He was now the head of police for all of Camelot, and Merlin could only imagine what the man would have done to him if he ever learned that Merlin had made Arthur realize he was gay.

Thankfully, it was all his imagination and none of it was a prophetic feeling, so Merlin wasn't truly worried about it.

Merlin had his first Advanced Placement classes this year: Psychology, Algebra, and European History. He was also already set up to take AP Sociology in the Spring thanks to the four by four block scheduling that Camelot High had. It took a lot of work to maintain those three classes by themselves, let alone all his normal high school courses, but he was managing quite well. Then there were Merlin's extracurricular activities, such as:

"Hey, look," a member of the soccer team began, motioning with his head over his shoulder where Merlin had just walked by. "It's him."

Arthur glanced over and let a glare slide into place. "Hey Freak!" he called down the hall.

Merlin didn't stop walking. He kept going until he reached his locker, and then steadily ignored the jocks as he opened it and started exchanging his books. Arthur led his whole little gang over to surround Merlin at his locker and lightly tapped the one next to Merlin's on the side where his locker door wouldn't hide it.

"I said, 'Hey'," Arthur repeated snidely.

"What, don't have any manners, Psychic Man?" the soccer player from before jeered. His name was Scott.

Arthur frowned. He tilted his head a bit and sneered at Merlin cruelly. "Of course he doesn't," he said pompously. "After all, if he really could see the future, he would've stopped Cedric from getting in that car, right?" he jabbed. "If he had any manners, that is."

There was a slight pause in the bullying at the mention of the car wreck, but the other jocks quickly got over it. If Arthur would mention it, then it was ok, right? A football player slid over next to Arthur and wrapped an arm around his neck in a mock-friendly manner.

"Too true, man," he agreed. "Then again, that's only possible if he really can see the future. So come on," he turned his attention to Merlin, who was still pointedly ignoring their jabs, "Predict something for me." He grinned meanly. "I know. Tell me how I'm going to die. Come on, tell me. If you can that is."

Merlin paused for a moment, and then continued messing with his books. All four of the jocks with Arthur, and Arthur himself, laughed. Merlin sighed, shut his locker, pulled his backpack over his shoulder, and began to walk away.

Arthur smirked. "Oh, don't run away!" he called out teasingly.

Merlin stopped walking, and in a calm and clear voice responded, "From you?"

His tone made Arthur stop. How to properly react? The football player, Adam, frowned. "Oh, you've got a bit of a backbone, do you, Freak?" Merlin just stood there with his back to them and said nothing. Adam frowned deeper. "Hey, if you've got something to say, then say it." Nothing. He glared harshly. "I said," he began, removing his arm from around Arthur's shoulders and grabbed Merlin by the back of the shirt, "say something!"

Arthur jerked minutely. Then, acting like this didn't worry him, he said, "Calm down, Adam. He's not worth getting angry at."

"Yea, Adam," Scott agreed in Arthur's same tone. The other jocks made noises of agreement as well.

Adam shook his head. "No," he refused stubbornly, flipping Merlin around and holding him harshly by the shoulders. Merlin stared right back at him. "I want an answer," he seethed.

Merlin took a moderate sized breath. "Fine." He shut his eyes for a moment and then opened them, staring directly into Adam's eyes. In a quiet voice that Arthur could barely hear, Merlin said, "Two weeks to the day after your twenty-eighth birthday, you're mother will die of cancer. Your father will suffer a serious mental breakdown a week later and you, being the good son, will try to help him in any way you can. Four days later, he'll pull a gun on you-"

Merlin braced himself the moment before the fist made contact with his face. Adam released him just before he punched him, so Merlin was sent sprawling on the hallway floor. Several students in the hallway turned to see what was going on, then looked away when they saw it was Merlin. Adam was shaking in anger.

"Don't you _ever _talk about my family that way, you son of a bitch," he cursed. "Or I _swear _I'll kill you with my own hands." Without waiting for anything else, Adam turned and stalked away.

The other jocks hurried after him. Arthur waited only a moment, watching as Merlin pushed himself up off the tile and rubbed his right cheek, before following along. As soon as they rounded the corner into another hallway, Gwen was kneeling next to him and helping him stand.

"Thanks, Gwen," Merlin said with a smile. Already his cheek was swelling a bit.

Gwen gently touched his cheek and frowned. "Someone should do something about this….It isn't right."

Merlin took both of Gwen's hands in his own. With a soft smile he said, "It's fine, Gwen. Some things are the way they are for a reason." She gave him a confused look and he shook his head. "You'll understand someday. I promise."

Gwen frowned. "Is this one of your future things, or just a promise?"

Merlin's smile grew. "It'll happen." He hadn't felt anything about when Gwen would learn about him and Arthur, but he got a good feeling when he promised her that, so it was basically the same thing.

Gwen gave a smile, but it quickly faded. "I'm sorry, Merlin." She shook her head and clenched her hands together, which were still enclosed within Merlin's hands. "I always wait until the danger is over to come out and help you. I need to be braver."

Merlin let go of her hands and placed his right hand on her left shoulder. She loosened her hold on her own hands. "I know you'll be there when it's over, though, Gwen…and that's good enough." He grinned. "You're brave enough just to be friends with me, and with Morgana of all people," he joked.

"Excuse me?" an angry voice chimed, making both Gwen and Merlin jumped apart from one another and turned to see the narrowed eyes and frown of Morgana Pendragon. "What's wrong with me?" she accused.

Merlin shook his head. "Not what I meant, Morgana…You know that."

Morgana stared at him with a hard expression for several long moments, and then she sighed before smiling lightly. "I know. I'm unapproachable, right? Well, who cares? Come on," she motioned down the hall, "Fourth period is about to start."

Merlin smiled and nodded. He knew they'd make it on time.

..

"Ouch," Merlin hissed out. Arthur pulled his hand back like he'd been burned and held his elbows on the table instead.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, looking at the table top in the Classic Café. The whole place was set up to look like an old-timey café in France, and the table cloth he was looking at was a simple white color with no design.

Merlin shook his head. He waited as the waitress walked over and placed their meals down in front of them before he spoke. "It wasn't your fault." Arthur clenched his teeth but said nothing. "It wasn't," Merlin emphasized. "Adam has anger problems. He'll get those fixed within the year."

Arthur looked at Merlin from under his bangs and the effect of that was just so breathtaking that Merlin couldn't breathe for a moment. "And that stuff you said about his mom?"

Merlin blinked once, took a deep breath to regain his senses, and then shut his eyes. "She's got cancer right now, but even though she knows it, she won't tell anyone about it. In eleven years, she'll get really sick and the doctors will tell her husband and son that it's already way too late. She'll survive two more years, but that's it….His father won't be able to survive without her. He's like a lovebird, and when his mate dies he'll go insane. Adam'll be a pro football player by then. He'll try to heal his father by taking a temporary leave from his team. Four days later, his father will wake up in the middle of the night and, thinking his son is a burgler, shoot him. Adam's leg will never heal properly, and he'll never play football again. The accident will clear his father's head, but crush all of Adam's hopes and dreams. He'll be in a car accident a year to the day after his mom dies, and die before they can get him to the hospital."

Merlin opened his eyes and saw Arthur staring at him intensely. Did Arthur find his premonitions that interesting? Arthur sighed once he realized that Merlin was done.

"Heavy," he began. "I don't understand how you do it. You say you can't see it, just feel it….but you're always so accurate."

"It's more…When you read a story, you can sort of see what the characters are doing and where they are based on the context clues with your imagination. I think about what I want to know, and I'm overcome with a feeling that works sort of like the context clues. Then, my mind paints a mental image of what I know will happen and I know if I'm right because the feelings change depending on what I add to the image. So, with Adam, I saw him at age twenty-eight looking the same way he does now at fifteen." Merlin picked up his chicken sandwich. "You on the other hand…," he trailed off, taking a bite of the sandwich as if he didn't have a care in the world.

Arthur waited until Merlin had swallowed, but when his boyfriend just continued to eat, Arthur's jaw dropped. "You're teasing me again!" he accused. Merlin smirked at him and Arthur scoffed. "Man you're cruel."

"It's just one of the things you love about me," Merlin teased offhandedly, looking to the air to his left, then paused. He looked over at Arthur and saw the blush dusting his cheeks. This feeling…

"I…," Arthur tried, but stopped. He shook his head. "Just eat your sandwich, stupid," he evaded smoothly before taking a harsh bite of his own sandwich.

"Arthur-"

"How are you doing in your advanced placement classes?" Arthur interrupted.

Merlin stared at Arthur for a few moments and then poked his sandwich idly. "I'm doing fine. Mr. Yvons says I wrote the best paper he'd ever read. I didn't think it was all that great. I mean, do you think an in-depth study of Napoleon Bonaparte's exile on St. Helena until the day he died is something that interesting?"

Arthur shook his head. "I could never write that paper. How long did you research that?"

"I don't know," Merlin shrugged. "A week? There isn't much on that period of Napoleon's life. It was the least adventurous period of his long and successful career." He shook his head once and took a bite of his sandwich. "How are your classes going?"

Arthur shrugged in return. "Fine, I suppose. I'm not nearly as impressive as you are." He stared out the window across the room. "I'd love to say it's because I'm too busy practicing my sport, but I know that's not a reason."

Merlin grinned, folding his hands in the air above his now empty plate. "True, but you do look quite fetching when you run."

Arthur nearly choked on his sandwich and Merlin considered himself victorious. Besides, he was pretty sure he knew what Arthur had been about to say before: Ninety-nine point eight percent sure.

..

Sigh

Merlin set down his pencil with a sigh of his own and looked over at Gwen. "You've sighed four times in the past six minutes, Gwen," he informed her calmly. "What's wrong?"

They were supposed to be studying for an AP Psychology test that was scheduled for that Friday, but Gwen had been simply staring off into the distance with a faraway look on her face the entire time.

She blinked. "Oh," she shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It's noth-Wait a minute. You don't know?"

Merlin shrugged. "I'm purposefully not looking because Morgana told me last week, again, that she wanted some suspense in her life and I figured I'd give you the same courtesy," he explained.

His dark skinned friend giggled. "You're funny, Merlin." She shook her head gently and smiled at the air. "I was just thinking…That girl in my Algebra II class…she just broke up with her boyfriend of three years. I was wondering if I'll ever have a boyfriend…and how I'll know if he's "The One"? Because, let's be realistic, but you can't expect the first boy you date to be "_The One"_," she reasoned.

Merlin held back a snort. Arthur was _his_ first boyfriend and Merlin knew no one else would ever come close. Still, Gwen didn't even know Merlin swung that way, and he wasn't about to educate her on that fact. He wanted to, God knew he wanted to, but that had the possibility of starting a huge landslide of issues. So he would just keep silent until the right time came along.

"So what if I find this great guy and we date for a long time but then he moves away or we just don't love each other anymore, and what if we never actually loved each other from the start?" Gwen continued to muse aloud. "But beyond that…I mean, what if I meet The One but I do something stupid and they hate me? What if we're happy together but then one of us dies? Is there another One I should be looking for or is that it? Or what if I die before I meet The One? Is there another One for them? Or vice versa?"

"Gwen," Merlin interrupted. She stopped abruptly and turned her attention on her psychic friend. "The more you worry about it, the more problems it'll cause." He quickly felt into Gwen's future and found a warm and comforting presence there. "Just live. You're going to find your One, I promise. And he'll be kind and compassionate and everything you've dreamed of," he assured her. "But you can't push love. It doesn't work like that. Try to force it, and you just shove it away. It just happens, and you've got to _let_ it just happen."

Gwen stared at Merlin for a long time, trying to figure out how to respond to that. At length, she said, "You know…I'm not sure if you just told me my future, or if you just gave me a really great speech about life." She smiled. "That was really deep, Merlin."

Merlin shrugged. "I know. I have my moments." He pointed at her book with his pencil. "Now study with me. Mrs. Ryans will have a fit if the whole class fails again."

Gwen rolled her eyes playfully. "You mean, the whole class except _you_? You totally threw off the curve last time, _Merlin_," she chastised teasingly.

"Well, maybe if you studied instead of daydreaming about love, you wouldn't need the curve, _Gwen_," Merlin responded in kind. She punched him softly in the arm and they both laughed.

..

It was October 11th and the tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

The dining room was a perfect porcelain white with a sleek black table set up with white plates and napkins beautifully arranged and true silver utensils at each plate set up the way you see in movies like the Titanic. There were silver candle sticks with long white candles and a glass chandelier hanging above the center of the table. All in all, the place was immaculate and faultless. It was sterile.

Arthur sat staring at his plate, his breath as stiff as his back. To his left, at the head of the table, sat his father. Uther Pendragon was straight backed in a suit, cutting his meat into tiny pieces before bringing them to his mouth piece by piece. He was just as immaculate and faultless as the room he sat in. Across from Arthur, on Uther's left, sat his adoptive sister Morgana. She wore a beautiful deep maroon dress that wrapped around her neck and exposed her shoulders. Her hair was done up beautifully up off her shoulders with only two locks of hair curling gently just in front of her ears. When she caught Arthur staring she gave him a happy smile.

Well, at least one of them was happy it was his birthday.

Yesterday, Arthur had celebrated his birthday early with Merlin and his uncle Gaius. They'd had a cake Merlin had made himself (from a box) that was chocolate enough to kill a horse. Merlin had kissed him over a dozen times and hugged him almost constantly and gave Arthur a necklace with a dark red stone. Even now, that necklace was hidden under the suit he was wearing as he and his family ate. Gaius had congratulated Arthur on turning fifteen and Merlin teased him about getting wrinkles and gray hair. There had been streamers and confetti and noise makers and chocolate mint ice cream and they tied each other's hair in little ponytails and took funny pictures of each other and painted their faces with cake and ice cream (Gaius included, unwillingly). It had been the most amazing birthday Arthur had ever had.

Case in point, the current situation.

It was 7 p.m. and Arthur was seated at the formal dinner table with his family. They were all dressed in their best but no one was talking to anyone. The only sounds in the room were the ones made by their silverware as they ate their cottage pie dinner and spotted dog pudding. The only thing special about that was that typically they had no dessert at all. After dinner, if they wanted, Arthur and Morgana could go make themselves something for dessert; anything small enough for one person. On holidays and special occasions, dessert was included in the meal.

Just as they all finished eating, Uther spoke up. "Congratulations, Arthur," he began in his typical tremble of a voice. "Today you turn fifteen years old. Now, you are leaving the world of children behind and moving up into the world of adults – adult problems, skills, jobs, ….relationships," he added, albeit a bit reluctantly. "These all require a new level of responsibility and I expect you to uphold a good character at all times."

"Of course, father," Arthur agreed with a small incline of his head. "I'll do my best."

Morgana stayed silent. She'd had this same speech from Uther four months ago, when she had turned fifteen.

Shortly afterward, Morgana and Arthur were dismissed. They both went up the stairs towards their respective bedrooms but Morgana stopped Arthur at the top of the stairs with a gentle hand on his arm. "What?" he asked, not rudely but not kindly either.

Morgana smiled. "We may not be blood related, but you are still my younger brother. Here," she said, handing him a small package. "Happy Birthday."

Arthur looked at the wrapped gift and then to Morgana's smiling face. "Thanks, Morgana," he let out quietly.

Morgana shook it off with a wave of her hand. "Come on, don't be getting all soft on me!" she teasingly chastised. "We can't have people thinking we like each other now, can we?"

Arthur grinned. "No. Who would ever want that?" he asked sarcastically. His grin slipped into a small smile again and he squeezed Morgana's left shoulder once, gently, before giving a nod of his head and entering his bedroom without another word.

Seated at his desk, Arthur carefully unwrapped the gift Morgana had bought him. Inside the wrappings was…an envelope in between two little sheets of cardboard. Frowning in confusion, Arthur slit the top of the envelope open and pulled out-

"Oh wow!" he gasped out, his eyes going wide. "Two tickets to the Pop Disaster Tour!" Hurriedly pulling out the letter also in the envelope, Arthur nearly ripped it open.

_Dear little brother,_

_I know you won't admit it, but you love these guys. So I went ahead and bought you the tickets. You can take whoever you want (as long as it isn't me). Maybe you'll find yourself a girlfriend while you're at it! :)_

_By the way, don't let dad find the tickets or know about the concert. He'd absolutely FLIP if he knew!_

_Morgana_

_P.S. I've included something extra along with the tickets just in case._

Narrowing his eyes, Arthur picked up the envelope and shook it upside down. Almost immediately, a little tiny package fell out. Arthur stared at it, the envelope in one hand and the tickets in the other, in horrified shock.

A condom.

Glaring, Arthur grabbed the offending item and tossed it angrily into the waste basket next to his desk. "What on earth is she thinking?" he grumbled. "Still…," he looked back at the tickets still in his left hand and smiled. "I can take Merlin somewhere now that he doesn't know about." He frowned a bit. "Then again, he might already know…hmm…." Arthur placed a hand to his forehead. "I don't understand how the whole thing works…" He shook his head. "Oh well. It's worth a try, and it'll be fun either way."

After all, it was Green Day, Saves the Day, and Blink 182 in concert, together. Sweet.

As it turned out, Merlin had known Arthur was going to ask him out some place, but he'd purposefully forced himself not to feel it out because he wanted to be surprised. That made Arthur smile. Now it was October 24th and Merlin and Arthur were standing near the theater where the concert was to be held. Arthur and Merlin were both shocked at the sheer number of people in attendance. It _was_ Camelot City and it _was_ the Pop Disaster Tour, but _whoa_! There were a ton of little kids with their parents, a ton of middle schoolers, and several truck loads of high school kids wearing belly shirts and short shorts or baggy clothes, almost all black or grey of some sort, with wacky colored hair and piercings all over. There were a few people in their twenties, but they were few and far between all the others.

Merlin and Arthur fit right in. Phew.

Merlin's hair looked wet the way he'd done it. His nails were painted black and he wore a large black t-shirt with GREEEN DAY emblazoned across the front and a tight, long sleeved black shirt underneath it. He wore black converse and tight black jeans. He looked hot and Arthur could barely take his eyes off him.

Arthur wore a similar Green Day shirt, but in a smaller size and long sleeved, with a deep dark blue short sleeved over shirt hanging open over top. He wore black sketchers and dark blue jeans. He'd tried to make himself look a bit unlike himself by gelling his hair like Merlin's, but he wasn't sure how well he'd done. He still got the impression that he looked like Arthur Pendragon, leader of the rich kids' gang at Camelot High. He felt a bit out of sorts in this crowd because he was used to being around the high and powerful group and not the middle class one. What if someone recognized him, or both of them?

Merlin interlocked his fingers with Arthur's. Arthur looked down at their hands and then up to Merlin's encouraging smile. "Don't worry. Everything'll be fine."

Arthur smiled and held Merlin's hand tighter. "Yea." He nodded. "It will." Then, without releasing Merlin's hand, Arthur trudged forward past all the little shops and into the main concert hall.

..

Quite some time later, long after the concert had let out, Merlin and Arthur were just nearing Dackling Road. Arthur had his left arm around Merlin's waist, and Merlin had his right arm around Arthur's waist in return. Merlin leaned his head on Arthur's shoulder and they both stopped walking.

"The concert was great," Merlin commented with a big smile. "I loved the part where the chickens and bees came out and we all shouted 'Shout!' at the top of our lungs," he laughed.

Arthur grinned. "Really? I liked the part where Billie called those people up on stage and the one kid fell down, and that other one practically squeezed the life out of Billie in that hug," he said, chuckling under his breath.

Merlin smirked. "Why Arthur, I wasn't aware you loved pain that much. Could it be you actually enjoy beating me up?" he teased, taking a step back from Arthur but never dropping his smirk.

Arthur looked practically offended. "No! Why on earth would I want to see you get hurt?" he asked incredulously.

"It was a joke, Arthur," Merlin said somberly, shocked at Arthur's reaction.

Arthur frowned and pulled Merlin into a one armed hug again. "Well…I don't think it's very funny. I never want you to get hurt. I….I care about you too much."

Merlin frowned at the ground, but not because he was upset. He knew Arthur cared about him a lot. He knew how Arthur felt even when he was hiding it. He just…he wished Arthur would come out and say it himself.

"I care a lot about you too, Arthur," Merlin replied in kind. He cleared his throat. "You need to get home. You're dad's already getting worried and suspicious."

"Right," Arthur mumbled. He gave Merlin a slow, gentle kiss before pulling completely away from his boyfriend. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Merlin grinned. "Bright and early. Don't stay up late. We've got school in the morning," he reminded teasingly. Arthur was going to be up for at least another hour.

Arthur stuck his tongue out for the briefest of moments and then shoved his hands in his pockets. "Goodnight, Merlin." Then he walked away down Dackling Road towards his house and Merlin hurried away from the rich territory and back to his middle-class home.

He entered the house quietly, so as not to wake Gaius at this hour of the night, and walked softly to his room. Grabbing a change of clothes, Merlin took a quick shower. Once he was dry, Merlin pulled on his night pants and then paused. He looked at the fog covered mirror for a second before wiping a streak clear with his right hand. Staring into his own eyes, Merlin sighed.

"Goodnight, Arthur," Merlin murmured. He could see the future, and yet he had trouble saying aloud what needed to be said. "I love you."

tbc.


	5. Sophomore Year Part 2

Oh my God, I am SO SORRY! I was thinking I didn't want to post this chapter because I haven't finished the next one and that I would post it when I'd finished the next one, but then I didn't finish the next one and didn't finish the next one and on and on and on and so I never posted this one either! Sorry sorry! I hope you all haven't lost interest in this story! I'm still working on it I swear!

I'm also working on another project, which is part of the reason why this one isn't finished yet...yea...

* * *

_December, 2002_

"Guh!" Merlin gasped out as his back connected with the wall of the school. He dropped to the ground and only didn't fall on his face by catching himself on his arms at the last moment.

"Take it back!" a tall brunette boy yelled.

Merlin looked up at him with sorrowful eyes but said nothing. The senior growled and grabbed Merlin by the collar of his shirt, hoisting him up off the ground. This was something else, actually. Merlin had never had a bully this tall or muscled before. The guy was like a mountain.

"I said….Take it back," he seethed quietly. "You cursed my girlfriend and I want you to take it back!"

Merlin placed his hands on the older boy's own hands and managed, "I can't take it back because I didn't do anything…."

His back connected with the wall again when the senior threw him back. He lost his footing and slipped to the ground. "Bullshit!" the other teen yelled. "You cursed her!"

Merlin coughed a few times before shaking his head and pushing himself up off the floor. The guy before him was named Harley. He was on Camelot's wrestling team: not the school, the city. Generally he was a kind, gentle individual who only used his strength in his matches and to help people, but Merlin had pissed him off by telling his girlfriend her future and it coming true.

"I warned her," Merlin corrected softly, knowing this was not what Harley wanted to hear and knowing that he was going to get hit again for his efforts, but he had to say it. "I told her to watch out because a lot of bad things were going to happen to her. I told her about the stalker. I told her how obsessive he was. I told her he was jealous and he was going to hurt her. I'm sorry she didn't listen, but there's nothing I can do about it."

As soon as the last word left his mouth, Merlin let himself go loose so that when Harley landed the punch to his face, it didn't hurt him as bad. Merlin went flying to the left after the punch to his right cheek but didn't fall down.

"Her leg is broken!" Harley shouted angrily. "She has a black eye! Her dog is dead! And he….and that bastard…..he…." Harley shut his eyes and shook his head before glaring ever more fiercely at Merlin. "And you made it happen! Because of you, Yvonne is scarred. She's hurt and so you're gonna hurt too!"

He landed a punch to Merlin's gut, then another, and Merlin felt all the air leave his lungs. A feeling washed over him, overshadowing any he was receiving from or about Harley, and Merlin frowned just before he fell down. He hit the ground hard, his head smacking against the stone of the wall before he managed to roll over and away from it. _Shit_ that hurt!

"Hey," a cold, dangerous voice called in a quiet tone that made Harley's blood freeze in his veins. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

Harley turned and saw Arthur, with two of his lackeys from the track team, standing at the corner of the building. Arthur's eyes were made of blue fire, burning and freezing those in his sight at the same time. As big as he was, Harley was frightened by that look.

"I'm taking care of some business," he managed without stuttering. His fear was still audible though. "Get lost. This doesn't concern you."

Arthur stepped closer while his lackeys stayed back. Every step he took seemed like a mortal blow. "This does concern me. You see, you're beating up _my_ property," he began to explain with acid in his voice. "The psychic freak is mine to do with as I wish. If he gets bullied, then it's me doing the bullying." Arthur was right up next to Harley now. He was a good six inches shorter than the wrestler, and yet Harley was the one shaking in fear. "Besides, what you're doing is wrong. You'll end up killing him this way, and where's the fun in that?" Arthur adopted the creepiest grin any of those present had ever seen. "As it stands, with the mood I'm in….I suggest you run along before I do something I might regret, you _bastard_," he threatened smoothly, with no hint of hesitation.

Harley took a step back from Arthur, then turned his head to look at Merlin still laying on the ground. "You're lucky today, shrimp," he said, trying to sound tough still. "You better hope I don't….find you again…" And with that, he walked away as fast as a person can without full out running.

The two guys with Arthur, two freshmen under him, cautiously walked over. "Wow. I've never seen Harley scared of anyone. You're uh…really something, Arthur," one, with short blond hair, complimented nervously.

Arthur refrained from turning his icy glare on them. They'd done nothing wrong. So he kept staring at where Harley had been and tried to calm himself down. Something touched his shoe and his head snapped down to see Merlin's hand lying on top of his left foot. His eyes widened and he looked at Merlin in disbelief. There was a tiny smile on his face, amidst the dirt from the ground and the slowly forming bruise.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" the other freshmen, with longer black hair to his shoulders, yelped suddenly, kicking Merlin's wrist to knock his hand off Arthur's shoe. "Don't touch him!"

Arthur glared, but kept his eyes on Merlin instead of the idiots standing behind him. The blonde boy glared too to match. "Yea. Just because he saved your life doesn't mean we like you or anything. You're still a nobody liar."

Merlin frowned ever so slightly at them. Matthew and Gregory. Gregory was going to give up on track in his Junior year and turn to accounting. He'd be very rich, adopt two girls and one boy from an orphanage in London, but never get married. In about four months, Matthew's long hair would tip off his father about his sexuality, but his mother would defend him and, eventually, his father would accept him and he'd go on to be a great athlete in the Olympics…right alongside Arthur.

He was pulled from his visions of the future when Arthur spat on the ground near him. He didn't get hit with it, but it was the act itself that meant anything. "Vanish. Now," Arthur ordered darkly, using his still present anger at Harley to act like the bully he was meant to be when all he wanted to do was hold Merlin close to him and never let go.

Merlin used the wall to stand himself up and then hurried away before anything else happened. Arthur didn't watch him go. He was a bit too shocked by the red mark on the wall near where Merlin had been laying. Blood?

"You know, you're a great guy, Arthur," Matthew complimented genuinely, placing a hand on Arthur's left shoulder. "You'd help even a weirdo like Emrys."

Arthur looked at the hand on his shoulder and then at Matthew's face. "Thanks," he replied offhandedly before leading them both away from the area and to the gym, where they'd been headed when they heard Harley shouting, to practice. Today was the last day before everyone left for Winter Break, so they'd have to do a bit more to make up for the time they'd lose later.

…

…

"Holy crap," Arthur hissed out when Merlin answered the door the next day.

Merlin grinned a bit uncertainly. Practically the entire right side of his face was purple, black, and green from just below his eye to his chin. He had no doubt it looked worse to Arthur than it had to him that morning looking in the mirror after his shower.

"Morning," he greeted easily.

Arthur reached out to touch Merlin's face but stopped just before his fingers could touch the skin. Instead, he caressed the air just off of Merlin's face with a pained expression. "God I….I should've shown up sooner."

Merlin reached up and gently took Arthur's hand in his own. He smiled before leading Arthur inside and shutting the door behind him. Once they were both in the safety of his house, Merlin leaned his forehead on Arthur's left shoulder. "You showed up soon enough."

"But still," Arthur let out before wrapping his arms around Merlin and holding him tight. "Your face, Merlin….any harder and he may have broken your jaw," he breathed out harshly, laying his head down in the place where Merlin's shoulder and neck met.

Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur in return. "But he didn't. I knew he wouldn't. I wouldn't have let him hit me otherwise. I'm alright, really." Arthur's grip on Merlin tightened a bit and Merlin rubbed his hands up and down Arthur's back comfortingly. "No. Don't even think about it Arthur," he commanded sternly, completely opposite of his gentle actions.

"But he hurt you-!" he half-growled into Merlin's neck.

"And you saved me," Merlin reminded him. "The way you acted then…I have to admit, it made me really happy." He smiled. "You scared the pants off Harley and Greg both," he complimented. "You got revenge for me just by showing him how angry you were that he hurt me. He won't come near me again. Trust me."

Arthur loosened his hold on Merlin just enough so he could pull back and see Merlin's face. There was a cocky sort of smile on the dark haired boy's face. He grinned too for about a second and then he went pale and frowned. "You're mom is gonna murder me," he whispered, his voice fearful.

Merlin laughed. "No she won't," he assured him. "But Will might." He laughed again at Arthur's still worried look even as he scowled. When the laughter had died down a bit, Merlin leaned forward and gave Arthur a peck on the cheek, playfully. "Now come on. We'll miss our train if we don't leave now."

Arthur gave a half-hearted smile at the idea but helped Merlin get his stuff into the black car out front. Four days in Ealdor with Merlin and his mom….and Will. Let the fun begin.

…

…

It wasn't until just before the train stopped in Ealdor that Arthur realized he'd forgotten something terribly important. Merlin was resting his head on Arthur's left shoulder and Arthur had his head on Merlin's head.

"Merlin," he started simply. "How's your head?"

"Hm?" Merlin asked almost sleepily. "Oh…it's fine."

Arthur turned his head to stare at Merlin's dark hair and ghosted his fingers across it. "You sure? There was blood on the wall when you left yesterday."

Merlin nodded against his shoulder. "Yea. I mean, yea it hurt, but it was just a scratch. It wasn't anything serious. I had my uncle take a look at it yesterday when I got home. Don't worry." There was a moment of silence and then, "Nice Maserati, by the way."

"What?"

"The car you picked me up in. It's a Maserati Coupe, right?" Merlin asked as he sat up in his seat. The train was pulling into the station now. "How'd you get your license? You're only fifteen."

Arthur grinned. "Being the police chief's son has its advantages," he revealed cryptically. "I think it's my dad giving me free reign now that I'm an adult, but also a test to see if I crash it because I'm still a child."

Merlin grinned back at him. "Right," he agreed before standing up with the rest of the people and grabbing his bag. "Come on. Mom's waiting just outside."

They exited the train with about four other people heading to Ealdor or the area nearby and, as Merlin had said, Hunith was standing on the platform waiting. Her eyes lit up when she saw Arthur, with Merlin just a bit behind him coming off the train. Merlin mentally braced himself for her reaction as she hurried over to them and then stepped from behind his boyfriend to smile a greeting at his mother. She stopped just before hugging him.

"Oh my word….," she breathed out. "Merlin-" she cut herself off, covering her mouth with her hands. "What…?" Her eyes flicked to the side, where Arthur was fiddling nervously with the handle to his suitcase, but Merlin stopped her before the idea was fully formed in her head.

"It wasn't Arthur," he said to start. Hunith's eyes flicked back to Merlin. "It was this guy, this really big guy, from school. I'd warned his girlfriend of something terrible and she didn't listen so she got hurt. Harley thought I'd cursed her and he was trying to make me take it back." He gave a reassuring smile. "Actually, Arthur saved me. It was really impressive too. He showed up and started talking in this really quiet voice and Harley just froze. The guy's a mountain and Arthur still managed to scare him off," Merlin complimented, grinning happily.

Hunith looked, for the briefest of moments, like she didn't believe Merlin's story, like she thought it was all a ruse to save Arthur from Hunith's wrath. Then it was gone and she smiled in acceptance. She spread her arms and took her son into a warm, loving hug. "Well," she spoke softly into his ear. "I'm glad he saved you, then."

When Hunith pulled away, Arthur was still half-heartedly messing with the strap on his suitcase. Merlin's mother smiled, turned to the blond, and gave him a hug that matched the one she gave to Merlin perfectly.

"You're a good kid," she whispered before pulling back. Arthur blinked at her with the expression of one who wasn't quite sure what had just happened. Hunith smiled a bit more at that and then focused back on Merlin. "Come on, let's get you two boys home…and put something on that eye," she added uncertainly.

Merlin smiled a bit nervously and then both boys followed her out of the station and to her car. Hunith had kept the same car for almost eight years now. It wasn't a Maserati, but Merlin loved it all the same.

…

…

Merlin and Arthur spent the rest of that Saturday getting situated in Merlin's room and just hanging out with Hunith. They played cards for three hours (Merlin won all the games, though he claimed it had nothing to do with his ability) and then watched A Goofy Movie together in the living room on Hunith's new T.V. The T.V. had been a combined gift from everyone at her workplace after one of them, a girl named Katherine, had come to visit and noticed the ancient _thing_ sitting in front of her couch.

Sunday saw Arthur treating Merlin to the movies. They watched Treasure Planet in the smallest theater in the building with only about twenty other people in there with them, but Merlin nearly cried at points and they shared popcorn and buncha crunch and they both cheered at the end. All in all, it was a very fulfilling outing.

On the way out of the theater, a girl Merlin went to middle school with recognized him and ran over with stars in her eyes. "Merlin!" she greeted happily. She had straight, long, dark brown hair and sparkling green eyes.

Merlin discreetly released Arthur's hand before the girl could notice. "Emma!" he responded in kind.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and laughed. "It's been so long! How have you been?" she asked, pulling back but not releasing him.

"Good," Merlin answered with a nod. "I live in Camelot after all. It's the biggest city on the east coast. It's impossible to get bored." He grinned. "And you and Rupert?"

Arthur got the impression Merlin already knew the answer before he asked, because he didn't seem surprised at all when Emma squealed, released him, and started showing off the ring on her left ring finger. "It's not an engagement ring or anything. It's actually a promise ring," she gushed as Merlin took her hand for a closer look.

It was sterling silver with a little ruby heart tilted slightly to the left and Rubert's name engraved to the right and, just below that on another band of the ring, a little sapphire heart tilted to the right with Emma's name engraved to the left.

"Wow, that's gorgeous, Emma," Merlin gushed right along with her. "So when's the wedding?"

Emma blushed, pulling her hand back to her side. "Oh come on, Merlin!" she practically whined in her embarrassment. "I just said it wasn't an engagement ring! Besides….the future is full of surprises. Who knows if Rupert and I will even stay together until graduation, huh? We're only fifteen after all…!"

Merlin smiled. "I think you'll make it," he assured her in a slightly softer voice. "And you'll get married in Grint Park where you two first met as toddlers. Then, you'll move into a little house on Angela Street and have three kids, two girls and one boy, and you'll be happy forever until you both die of old age, still as madly and passionately in love as ever."

It sounded like something a girl would tell her friend when they were making jokes about the future. It was some silly fantasy that every little girl dreamed of having one day that many never truly got. Emma would take it that way for sure. Arthur knew every word was true because he knew Merlin's gift, and that Merlin wouldn't lie about that.

Emma's blush got darker. "You really think so?" she asked almost shyly, looking at the ring on her finger. She sighed happily, just imagining it, and then looked up with a smile. "Thanks Merlin, you always know exactly what to say."

Merlin shook his head. "No. It's nothing," he dismissed. "Is Rupert meeting you here today?" He already knew the answer was-

"Yep," Emma said with a beaming smile. "We're going to see Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."

Arthur hid his snort behind his hand, but it caught Emma's attention and she finally realized there was someone else there with them.

"Oh, hello," she greeted. "Merlin, who's this?"

Merlin smiled, placing his left hand on Arthur's right shoulder. "This is Arthur. He's a friend from Camelot." Emma held out her hand. "He's visiting for Christmas."

Arthur took her hand. "It's a pleasure," he greeted with a charming smile. Emma smiled.

"Charmed," she agreed, then frowned slightly. "Your family?"

Arthur kept his smile easy going. "We don't really celebrate Christmas together. So I'm spending it with Merlin and his mother instead."

Emma nodded sagely. "Oh, yes. Good for you. Ms. Emrys is really nice. You'll have a great time, I'm sure."

"Emma!" a boy's voice called.

They all turned to see a ginger haired boy, quite fetching for his age, as he entered the lobby. Emma beamed at Merlin before running over to hug him with a loud and happy "Rupert!"

Merlin smiled softly. "They really do make a beautiful couple, don't you think?"

Arthur grinned and his voice held a bit of laughter. "Do you find that funny at all?" he asked.

"A bit ironically funny, yes," Merlin agreed with a short laugh. "And he's a red-head too." He shook his head and looked to Arthur. "Let's get back. Mom wants to decorate the house today and she needs our help."

Arthur nodded in agreement. "Sure thing." He watched as Emma and Rupert walked by, hand in hand, towards the back theater, the largest one in the whole building.

Monday, Merlin and Arthur spent in the park, people watching. Arthur asked Merlin if he would predict the futures of the kids playing on the jungle gym, and he did. One would be a lawyer and never marry. One would be a grade school teacher with four kids who took a cruise every summer with her family and wrote children's books. Two were going to amount to janitors. Both would marry and one would have a single child. The last one was going to be a game designer starting when he turned sixteen and he'd be insanely rich by the time he was thirty. He would adopt three kids from Camelot's orphanage and raise them well with his wife, whom he would meet at a gaming convention when he was twenty.

They ate lunch there and Arthur ran around the entire large park in under five minutes, so Merlin promised to make him more chocolates for the first day of school. And Valentine's Day. Forever. Merlin laughed at Arthur's childish request and gave him a kiss for his troubles.

Tuesday dawned and it was Christmas at the Emrys house.

Merlin gave his mother a set of green stone earrings that only dangled a little: just the way she liked it and in her favorite color. Arthur gave Merlin a real leather wrist band with his name "Merlin" etched into it on one side and the date they confessed liking each other on the back, against his skin: November 19th, 2001. He bought Hunith some bath products he'd seen on a talk show that were supposed to be really rejuvenating and good for your skin's health. They were expected to make you feel at least five years younger. Hunith gave Arthur the first Harry Potter book. He'd nearly burst out laughing at that and Merlin wouldn't explain why, so Hunith was lost to the humor.

Arthur got his gift from Merlin last. It was a hand-crafted, eight inch ceramic statue of a golden dragon. The eyes and the fire from its mouth were made of red quartz, but they shone like diamonds in Arthur's opinion. He nearly fainted.

"Steady," Merlin told him with a smile in his voice, placing a hand on Arthur's shoulder to keep him upright.

"Are you alright?" Hunith asked worriedly.

Arthur didn't answer. Instead, he turned to Merlin and asked, "How much did this cost?"

Merlin frowned teasingly. "You should never ask that!" he chastised lightly. "But if you must know…I got it for fourty nine ninety eight." Arthur opened his mouth to say something but Merlin cut him off. "It's nothing, Arthur. I got it for you because I wanted to, because I love you."

Hunith took the comment in stride, thinking that the casual way Merlin said it meant that he'd said it a hundred times before. Arthur stopped breathing for a full minute. By the time he'd regained his senses, Merlin was already helping Hunith to clear away the paper scraps from the ground and talking about having an early dinner before Arthur got on the train to go home. By the time he'd regained his senses, it was too late to respond and the words died painfully in his throat.

"Merlin," he breathed out, so quietly that no one heard him. Merlin paused and threw him a smile over his shoulder anyway.

…

…

"Alright," Merlin huffed out, watching as people got on the train only a half an hour after dinner that night. He looked to Arthur. "I'll see you back in Camelot on the sixth then."

Arthur nodded but said nothing. He'd been really quiet all day and Merlin knew exactly why.

"Let your dad know Roger's family is doing great, thanks for asking," he reminded. They'd used the same lie as last year. Last year, Arthur had kept to that story perfectly. This year, his father was going to ask him about it of his own volition, so Merlin was warning him.

"Merlin," Arthur spoke up suddenly and Merlin shut his mouth. "I…Every day I…I hate myself, because I have to be mean to you. I have to hurt you." He took Merlin's hands in his own and Merlin felt him shaking a bit. "I wish I could have the confidence you have when it comes to the future. I wish I could be so open about who I am and what I want….and who I care about…" The words were simple enough, but there was a great power behind them. "But I just can't. One day though…One day I'll be brave enough to say it aloud. I'll let everyone know how much I care about you."

The final warning sounded and Arthur leant in to give Merlin a quick peck on the lips before turning and walking swiftly onto the train, not giving Merlin any time to make a sound in response. Merlin held his left hand with his right gently. "I know, Arthur. Really, I do," he said to the empty air before him and the train that was now pulling out of the station. He saw Arthur's blond hair in the window a moment before the train was gone.

…

…

January sixth rolled around slower than molasses for Arthur. He spent his days going for long runs and wishing Merlin was there. He stayed in his room a lot by himself. Uther never noticed, he was too busy with work. Morgana noticed, but she didn't know how to broach the subject. Arthur wasn't technically doing anything odd so…she didn't know what to say to him.

Then it was the morning of the new school semester. Arthur was up by six thirty and slid into the kitchen about six forty-five to find Morgana humming to herself in front of the oven. He yawned and stretched.

"What's got you in such a great mood?" he asked.

Morgana shrugged. "I'm making brownies for Merlin."

"Why?" Arthur asked with a frown.

Morgana glared at him. "You may hate him, Arthur, but it's Merlin's birthday and I'm making him brownies because we're friends."

Arthur felt like a ton of bricks just hit him square in the chest. "What?" he gasped out, unable to catch his breath. It felt like the world was spinning.

"Merlin's birthday," Morgana repeated. "Actually, it was the first, but this is the first time I'll see him since then, so it amounts to the same thing. Really Arthur, I thought you would understand the significance of a fifteenth birthday. After all, you just had one a few months ago, didn't you?" she teased with a hint of bitterness.

Arthur's vision focused back on Morgana and he nodded. "Yea. No, yea. I know. If you wanna take the guy some chocolate, go right ahead. He's a lucky guy," Arthur managed to tease in the end. It made Morgana frown though.

"It's nothing like that," she corrected sternly. "You can pick on Merlin all you like at school, I won't stop you. That's Merlin's business and if he doesn't want anything done about it, then that's fine. But you won't bully me in my own house. So stuff it and get ready for school. You're driving me today."

Arthur's mind was knocked onto a different track altogether. "What? Wait, why? You have your own car."

"It's in the shop for a complete overhaul. It turns out the guy that sold it to us sold us a piece of crap Camero, so dad's suing him for the cost of the overhaul," she explained simply just before the oven beeped completion. "Ah."

Arthur's eyes snapped to the oven. Merlin's birthday. Why didn't he say anything? He hadn't said anything last year either. Why? When they said goodbye in Ealdor, or in a text message, or anything? Why couldn't they celebrate Merlin's birthday like they did Arthur's?

"I'm not hungry," Arthur let out shortly before turning and leaving the room to finish getting ready for school. He'd suddenly lost his appetite. He was such crap at this whole 'boyfriend' thing! Dammit!

…

…

Merlin slipped over to Gwen's seat that morning as soon as he walked in the door. She glanced up at him in muted confusion, which only grew to screaming confusion when he inconspicuously set a ham and cheese sandwich on her desk by leaning on it and discreetly slipping the food from his button up overshirt's inside pocket.

"Merlin…What?" Gwen managed to get out.

Merlin looked over at his seat nonchalantly and shrugged. "Morning," he greeted normally, as if she hadn't asked a question. He then tilted his head and propped it up in his right hand, successfully hiding most of his face from the view of most of the class. In a quiet voice he said, "Do me a favor and hand this to Arthur, would you?"

"What?" Gwen asked in an equally quiet voice. "Why? Why me?"

"Because Arthur didn't eat breakfast this morning and if you don't give it to him then he'll be insufferable all day. And I need you to do it because if I give it to Morgana then she'll tease him about lying about not being hungry and then he'll be insufferable anyway because he'll be irritated, and I can't do it because he won't accept food from me. He's my personal bully, remember?" he informed her calmly, still in that quiet voice.

Gwen stared long and hard at Merlin, who stared innocently and resolutely back. After a few minutes, she gave in. Merlin knew it was because she thought this was her best shot at keeping Merlin from getting bullied today and she hated being useless in that particular area of life. "Fine," she agreed in a sigh. "I'll do it."

She bent over and grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen from her backpack. Gwen quickly jotted a message down on the paper, folded it neatly, then stood from her desk. Merlin crossed his arms on the desk as she did, successfully and flawlessly hiding the sandwich from view as he watched Gwen with fake curiosity as she retrieved a small strip of tape from the dispenser on the teacher's desk. She sat down again and he moved his arms. Gwen taped the little note to the Ziploc bag the sandwich was in and then snatched the lunch item from her desk and walked swiftly to the back of the room, where Arthur was sitting, doodling in the margins of his homework.

The moment the sandwich hit his papers, Arthur's head snapped up. Merlin pulled off the perfect surprised look at Gwen's actions, so he blended in with the rest of the class's reactions. Morgana looked like she thought Gwen had lost her mind. "Enjoy," Gwen managed to say without stuttering, acutely aware of the silence in the room and everyone's eyes on her. She then turned and walked back to her desk, plopping down and leaning forward towards Merlin as if to continue their conversation.

The class immediately began to talk. Loudly. No one approached Arthur or Gwen and Merlin. They simply started gabbing about the event.

"Thanks, Gwen," Merlin said with a smile.

Gwen frowned. "Sure. But now I'm the one with the issue. Everyone'll think I like him," she groaned softly.

Merlin shook his head. "Nah, the note you wrote will soon be passed around to the entire class and it'll die within these walls," he promised.

Gwen sighed with relief a moment before Morgana practically shoved Merlin off her desk to make room for herself. "Gwen! What was that?" she asked in a harsh whisper louder than either Gwen or Merlin had previously been talking in. Gwen giggled nervously.

"He looked hungry," she said simply, keeping Merlin out of it. "But I left him a message."

Arthur's right hand dropped to his desk with a simply 'thunk' and his left hand covered his face and the huge grin there. The paper in his hands had only eight words on it, written in curly black letters of excellent penmanship.

"_You are an insufferable prat, did you know?"_

He caught Merlin glancing at him over Gwen's shoulder inconspicuously and nodded minutely, showing his thanks. It was only a half an hour after he said he wasn't hungry this morning and he was starving.

…

…

"Before you say anything," Merlin began when Arthur entered an empty classroom that afternoon, "I didn't tell you because I didn't think it was important."

Arthur frowned, shutting the door securely behind him. Merlin was sitting on a desk just out of view of the door's window. "Not important? Merlin, it was your birthday, and I didn't get you anything or even wish you Happy Birthday."

Merlin shrugged. "I don't need anything."

Arthur frowned deeper as he stepped over to where Merlin was seated. He stood between Merlin's legs and placed his hands gently on Merlin's shoulders, staring into his eyes. "But I do," he said softly. "I need to feel like I'm doing my part in this relationship. It always feels like I just glide by on your hard work and devotion. I need to spoil you on your birthday like you did on mine. I need to celebrate every special event with you. I need some way to show you that I care." He cast his eyes down for a moment before looking back into Merlin's eyes. "I need you to know how much you mean to me, from me. I want to do things for you."

In moments like these, Arthur took Merlin's breath away. He was so sincere, so honest, so kind. All of a sudden, Arthur's eyes opened up all of time and space to Merlin again. He felt it expanding and he knew what was coming. He was about to see the future. Before it could happen, he closed his eyes, cutting off the link, and set his head on Arthur's chest.

"Alright," he agreed softly. "I accept." He sat up straight again and smiled, making eye contact with him now that the feeling was gone. "How about you treat me to lunch at the Classic Café this Thursday after school?"

Arthur gave a small smile. "Sure thing. Our own little birthday party, complete with presents," he said.

Merlin laughed once. "Sure. Whatever you want to do, Arthur. It's your party plans. I just get to enjoy it."

Arthur smiled sweetly and leaned in to give Merlin a soft peck on the lips. "Come on. Let's get out of here and go for a walk."

"Yea."

…

…

It was March 9th and Spring Break had officially begun for Camelot High School. Pretty much every student had spoiled themselves with lavish trips all over the country and out of it. Even Morgana had gone off to some city to the south with Guinevere in tow to soak up the sun and hunt for boys. That left Arthur and Merlin virtually alone in Camelot.

They met up at ten that morning and headed to a theme park. It was called Gedref's Labyrinth and had an actual labyrinth in the center that consisted of two miles of twisting, confusing pathways. Most people came to the park to try and beat the maze. Most people failed and had to be escorted out by security with maps. And it was just this reason that brought Merlin and Arthur to the park.

After riding three roller coasters, watching a show, and eating lunch together, Arthur dragged Merlin to the entrance of the maze. "I figure, I can't get lost for long as long as I have you with me," he joked as they accepted the pagers to call for help with and walked inside. There was practically no one there because of the lack of high school students. After all, you had to be at least fifteen to go inside.

Merlin let Arthur direct them. They took a right, two lefts, two rights, back tracked and took a left, and then another right. Just as Arthur was about to go right, Merlin placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hm?" Arthur let out, turning to face his as of yet mostly quiet boyfriend. "What? Is this the wrong way?"

Merlin was looking off to the side and looked almost as if he were listening for something. "No. That's the right way. It's just…someone's lost and they dropped their pager. They're to the left."

Arthur nodded. "Right. Let's go help." He turned and went left instead.

Merlin led him, from behind, down another left and then a right. In front of them was a dead end, and a seventeen year old boy slumped against that dead end with his hands over his head and his head between his knees. "Excuse me," Merlin called out. The boy jumped noticeably and gave them a once over before fully calming down. He looked disappointed though. "Sorry, we're not security." The boy's eyes widened at the comment. How? "But if you want to come with us, I can promise you'll be out of here within the hour."

Arthur stayed quiet through the whole thing. The boy stared at them for a minute, seemed to decide going with them was better than sitting here forever, and stood up with an amazing amount of grace. He ran a hand through his brown hair, which fell neatly into his green eyes but did not hide them from view, and sighed. "Yea. I guess. Sure. Which way?" His tone of voice was defeated and yet kind.

Arthur didn't like him. He was handsome and nice and an older man. Merlin placed a hand on Lucas's shoulder and Arthur felt the beginnings of jealousy stir within him. Merlin glanced at him curiously for a moment. "It's back a few turns," he said to the boy. "My name's Merlin, by the way, and that's Arthur. What's yours?"

The boy gave Merlin a charming smile. "Lucas. Lucas Trent. It's a pleasure to meet you, Merlin and Arthur."

Arthur nodded to him but couldn't keep the frown off his face. "Let's get out of here," he said simply, turning to walk back a left, right, and a right until they were back where they'd been when Merlin noticed Lucas and then started off down the right path. Merlin and Lucas were close behind.

…

…

As Merlin had promised, it took only forty minutes for them to navigate their way to the other side of the maze. Lucas beamed when he saw the park laid out before him. "Oh my god, I thought I'd never get out…," he breathed a moment before turning and embracing Merlin tightly. "Thank you so much."

Arthur bristled. Before he could do anything, Lucas pulled back and beamed at them both. "It was nothing," Merlin insisted, "Just a good sense of direction and being in the right place at the right time."

Lucas nodded amiably. "I gotta go now. I'll never forget how you helped me though. Bye!" he waved before hurrying off.

Merlin grinned. "He wasn't kidding you know," he said to Arthur with a laugh in his voice. "He really had to 'go'. Number 1."

Arthur slid his hands into his pockets with a shrug. "Sure," he let out. Merlin frowned and looked at him innocently.

"What's with you? Ever since we met Lucas you've been….well I'm getting dark feelings from you."

"It's nothing. I'm being stupid," Arthur assured him, trying to lighten his mood. "Don't worry about it." He gave Merlin a smile. Merlin smiled unsurely back at him.

Lucas was gone and Merlin didn't seem to care. He had Merlin all to himself again. The rest of the day was going to be great! The rest of Spring Break would be just the two of them and everything was going to go perfectly!

Except that it wasn't.

* * *

I will do my utmost to post the next chapter A LOT faster than this one took to be posted! I love you all!


	6. Sophomore Year Part 3

Ok, so there is a _very_ good read why this is so late. Nation Novel Writing Month. In the midst of writing part 7, NaNoWriMo started and I decided that it'd be in the best interest of my sanity and time schedule to simply put off on TCoME: Merlin's Story and work solely on my novel. During NaNo I kept getting inspiration for all these little one-shots and shortly chaptered stories that had nothing to do with Merlin, let alone this story, and I wrote those (which I'll post at some point but I'm not sure when).

I actually completely forgot I hadn't finished this story yet. See, in my mind, I know how this is all ending and I've planned the end though I haven't written it. So during NaNo my mind flipped its status to complete and I forgot to start working on it again when November ended. But now I'm back and I'll do my best to finish this in a timely manner.

I hope you all haven't given up on me and that most of you will still be reading this!

…

…

_March, 2002_

Arthur grumbled under his breath. Merlin and he had come to the movie theater in Camelot for a late night showing of a movie. Arthur was so peeved right now that he actually couldn't remember what it was anymore.

Why was he ticked?

Laughter trickled over to him from Merlin's left side and Arthur glanced past Merlin discreetly to see Lucas with a huge smile on his face. Arthur turned back to the movie with an inaudible sigh. The guy had shown up just before they'd gone in the theater and Oh My God It's you guys! Let me sit with you and Dammit it was supposed to have been a date!

Merlin's arm moved and Arthur's gaze drew downward to see how Merlin was holding his hand slightly turned upward. A tiny smile graced Arthur's features and he laid his hand in Merlin's. Their fingers entwined and Arthur felt much better about the situation already. Merlin glanced over at him, a smile on his face. Arthur wasn't sure if it was directly for Arthur or if the movie was really funny, but the smile did him loads of good anyway.

He barely noticed Lucas the whole rest of the movie.

…

…

It was Monday, March 11th, and Arthur was feeling good. It was two in the afternoon and he and Merlin were sitting in Drake Park drinking milkshakes from a new ice cream shop in town. His was strawberry and Merlin's was chocolate. Arthur had spent the morning with his father, eating breakfast and discussing what it was to be the man of the house and all that jazz. Then he'd had lunch with Merlin at the Classic Café and now they were in Drake Park.

His father had commissioned Drake Park two years ago. It was cute and people loved how it brought more green to the area, but no one really cared enough to actually go walk through it. And it was so far from Camelot's high society that there was little to no chance of seeing anyone they knew here. Merlin had packed a lunch in his bag so that they could just sit outside and enjoy not having to hide from people all day long.

"Not to sound _too_ gay," Merlin half-joked, a grin on his face, "but it's really beautiful out here."

Arthur laughed, turning to look at Merlin instead of the park. "Not _too_ gay," he assured the darker boy before he leaned in, landing a sweet chocolate-strawberry kiss on Merlin's lips. He licked his lips once he'd pulled away. "Mm, tasty."

Merlin snorted and playfully shoved Arthur's right shoulder, nearly making Arthur drop his shake. He sighed, laying back on the grass beneath the tree they sat by. He turned his head to the left to look at the little book bag like bag he'd packed their sandwiches and snacks in. It wasn't a special occasion or anything, but he had made more chocolate for Arthur to celebrate this temporary freedom. His only worry was that he couldn't tell how Arthur would respond to them. A slight frown flit across his face and Arthur saw it.

"What?" he asked. "You hungry already?" The joking tone had not yet left his voice.

Shaking his head, Merlin sat up again and took a sip of his shake. "No. Just thinking."

Arthur set his shake down, the joke gone and worry in his eyes. "About what?" Merlin made to shake his head again, but instead squeezed his eyes shut when a sudden jolt of feeling passed through him. A moment later his eyes shot open and Merlin jumped up from the ground. "What?" Arthur asked in shock.

"He's in trouble," Merlin said in response, turning his head left, then right, before running left.

"Who? Merlin?" Arthur leapt to his feet and took chase, but Merlin had a good head start and actually knew where they were going, so he was just barely keeping up.

Merlin ran down two streets, through an alleyway, across that street, and down another before he spotted his target. Lucas! He was crossing the street with his head down, attention on the book in his hands. "Lucas!" Merlin shouted as the car turned the corner, the driver searching for something in the passenger seat and not looking where they were going.

"Huh?" Lucas looked up but turned toward Merlin instead of the car. Luckily, Merlin had never stopped running. He slammed full body into Lucas, knocking them both to the other side of the road and out of the car's way. The driver sat up in their seat again and kept going, never once realizing what almost happened. "What?" Lucas gasped out, looking between where he'd been and where the car was now. "I….Merlin?" he asked, taking in who was still laying on top of him.

Merlin pushed himself up, gulping in deep breaths of air. Goodness he was not a runner like Arthur! "I….was afraid I w….wouldn't make it….Are you alright?" he half-choked out.

Lucas stared at Merlin in awe for a few more seconds before blinking harshly to wake himself up. "Yea," he said, shaking his head. "Yea I'm fine. Thank you. That's twice now you've saved me." A huge grin spread across his face. "You're like a guardian angel!" He laughed.

"Having fun?" Arthur asked, his voice unhappy but breathing even.

Merlin blinked, squinted for a moment, and then gasped as he took in his position: still draped over Lucas. He quickly rolled off, instead sitting on the sidewalk next to Lucas instead of on him. Lucas pushed himself up into a sitting position as well.

"Sorry," Merlin said, to both Arthur and Lucas, but for different reasons. Arthur was jealous of Lucas and here Merlin was laying all over him! He was so stupid sometimes!

"Don't, ow," Lucas paused to take in his scraped up hands, but simply waved them in the air a bit as he continued. "Don't apologize to me. You saved my life. A little scraping and bruising is nothing." He stood up and held a hand out to Merlin, who accepted it, and pulled him to his feet. Lucas didn't immediately release Merlin's hand though. Instead he began shaking it. "You've got to let me repay you somehow!"

Merlin shook his head, allowing his hand to be jerked around in Lucas's excitement. "No. Really. It's fine. I was happy to do it."

Arthur's grip on his shake was bending the cup inward. Lucas gripped Merlin's hand with both his now and Merlin shifted uneasily from foot to foot. Arthur was getting upset, he could tell, but he didn't want to be rude to Lucas either.

"Please!" Lucas gasped. "I've got it! I'll buy you dinner tomorrow!" A muscle in Arthur's temple twitched. "That's it. That's what I'll do. A really nice dinner! How about we meet here tomorrow at say….four o'clock and I'll take you out to a really nice restaurant?"

Merlin smiled. Arthur and he hadn't thought of that! It was Spring Break and all their classmates were across the country doing who knew what. They should go to a nice dinner! And since Lucas was offering to pay for both of them – he could feel it – then why shouldn't they take him up on it? It wouldn't be a proper date, but then Arthur's father wouldn't know he'd paid for something expensive for two people, Merlin wouldn't lose a dime, and no one who did see them would know it was a date because they could say the guy asked them there separately or something if asked about it….Not that anyone would, Merlin realized as he felt into the future.

"That'd be great," he accepted. "Tomorrow then." He finally shook back and the smile on Lucas's face was a beacon.

"Awesome. I'll see you then!" he cheered, releasing Merlin's hand and clapping him on the shoulders instead. "I've gotta go make reservations somewhere," he said seriously before bending down to pick up his book and walking away backwards, waving. "See you guys later!" Then he turned around and hurried off down the street.

Merlin laughed. "He's a funny sort of guy, huh?" Ache suddenly wound itself in his heart and before Merlin could dissect it, there was a low thud and a splat from behind him. "Hm?" He turned and looked at where Arthur's strawberry shake was oozing across the sidewalk. "Arthur?" he asked slowly, looking up into Arthur's angry eyes.

"_Funny_?" he asked. "He's _funny_?" Arthur threw his hands up in the air. "God! You like him, don't you?"

"Arthur, no, I-" Merlin tried, but Arthur wasn't finished.

He dropped his hands to his side, clenching his fingers into fists. "This week was supposed to be amazing. Just the two of us. No worries at all. Remember?" he asked, hurt seeping into his voice. "But then you meet Lucas and we hang out with him and then he shows up at the movies and you don't even care that he's messed up our whole date and then _today_!" he practically screamed. Luckily, the street was vacant of any other people right now. "In the middle of our wonderful day you just run off to go find him!"

Merlin glared slightly. "Arthur. He would've died. I couldn't just let him die. He's got things he still needs to do with his life."

That sounded similar to what Merlin had said to Arthur when he'd stopped him from getting in Cedric's car and it just made Arthur angrier. "Oh yea? And do those things have anything to do with all the touching and laying on him you were doing?" he accused.

A feeling Merlin had never experienced before exploded within him. He was sucked into Arthur's eyes once more and saw all the wonderful things he and Arthur would do together: Christmas, Valentine's Day, the beach, the golden rings, the kisses, snuggling, hugging, calling each other at midnight. They were all cracking like a broken t.v. set and then fading away.

"No….," he breathed out fearfully before his eyes refocused and he gave Arthur a pleading look. "Arthur, please. It's got nothing to do with that. He's barely even a friend!"

"Really?" Arthur sneered. "He seems to like _you_ well enough," he scoffed.

Fading. He couldn't hold on to it. Everything was being ripped away. Merlin was losing everything! "Arthur, please don't do this…Don't break this….," he pleaded softly, placing a hand on Arthur's left arm.

Arthur jerked back a step. "Can you honestly tell me that he's not attractive? He's been all over you since we met and you don't seem to care! And when he's around you hardly pay attention to me at all. It's like I don't exist!"

Merlin shook his head, clenching his hands a bit to keep from reaching out again. "You exist," he said definitively. "More than Lucas." Arthur was shaking his head and Merlin kept feeling worse inside. "More than anything. Arthur, I-"

"I'm sorry," Arthur interrupted, holding up a hand to stop Merlin's explanation. "Everything sounds like a lie. You probably have a great explanation that would seem fine under normal circumstances….but I can't right now." He sighed. "I think we should take some time off from each other."

And there. The future was a blank abyss. Merlin stared at Arthur, right in Arthur's eyes, pleading within himself that he would see something….anything…anything at all…..but he didn't, couldn't. The emptiness that engulfed him then was overwhelming and Merlin found he couldn't make a single sound of protest as Arthur turned and walked away.

He stood there, next to Arthur's melting milkshake splattered across the ground, for several minutes before he managed to move. When he did, Merlin found himself walking back to the park, a part of him hoping this was all some sick hallucination. Then, there before him on the grass sat his own milkshake and the bag that still held their lunch and the chocolates inside. That's why he hadn't been able to tell how Arthur would react, isn't it? Because Arthur wasn't ever going to eat them….

Standing there in the park, Merlin cursed his ability, wished he'd never felt a thing, and wept.

…

…

Gaius looked up from where he was reading from a thick, leather bound book when Merlin's bedroom door shut down the hall. He watched as his nephew exited the hallway wearing his (new) best jeans and a blue shirt with dark blue swirls stretched across it. His eyes, while darker than usual, were no longer red and puffy, no longer bloodshot and sleep-deprived. Merlin headed for the door and had his hand on the handle before Gaius cleared his throat.

"Merlin?" he asked. "Where are you going?"

Merlin didn't move to turn around or anything as he spoke, simply staring at the handle instead. "Someone I helped offered to buy me dinner," he said almost mechanically. "It'd be rude to stand them up."

"But Merlin," Gaius protested, "you're in no shape to-"

"I'll see you later."

The door shut behind him and Gaius gave a deep sigh. He'd never thought this would happen; not to Merlin, and especially not because of Arthur. Merlin had been on cloud nine every day since he'd first looked into Arthur's eyes. When they got together, he'd mentioned, several times, how amazing they would be and how they would always love one another. Merlin had such a great sense of things by this point that practically nothing surprised him anymore. To know that, somehow, the man Merlin had given his heart, soul, and body to – the man Merlin had given his entire _being_ to – had left him just as easily as any man had ever left another person….it was unbelievable.

As much as it shocked Gaius, it hurt Merlin a hundred times more. He'd come home in tears, clutching the bag he'd packed like a lifeline, and then collapsed on the couch. He'd cried until late in the night, right up until he fell asleep in his sorrow. Gaius had carried him to his bedroom and put him to bed, hoping that tomorrow, and some rest, would bring relief. Unfortunately, the first thing Gaius heard of Merlin today was muted sobs and staggering breaths. It was unbelievable that now, at barely three p.m., Merlin was up and leaving the house.

"Can you see what you've done to him, Arthur?" Gaius asked the air around him.

…

…

Lucas smiled as Merlin hurried over to where he stood on the sidewalk. "Hey, Merlin!" he greeted happily.

"Hi," Merlin greeted with a small smile. It would've been easy to be angry at Lucas for what happened between him and Arthur, but Merlin knew it was also partly his own fault, so he wasn't mad at the older boy.

Lucas looked around the direction Merlin had come and frowned slightly. "Where's your boyfriend?"

Merlin blinked a couple of times before he was able to answer. "He uh…We had a fight and…."

"Oh," Lucaus interrupted, so Merlin wouldn't have to continue. "I get it. I've had those before….Sorry…." He looked at the ground for a moment and then back up. "Do…do you still wanna have dinner? Or would you rather, I don't know, do something else?"

Merlin gave a little smile, slipping his hands in his pockets. "I'm starving. Dinner would be great."

They began walking down the street in silence. Merlin frowned to himself. He'd known that Lucas knew about him and Arthur from day one. He'd known that but….but just then, he'd known Lucas was about to ask about Arthur and then….he couldn't feel a thing. Even now, he wasn't getting anything about anyone they passed or how the evening would go. The strange thing was…Merlin wasn't surprised in the least. Subconsciously he'd decided that if he couldn't see the future he'd had with Arthur, then he didn't want to know the future at all.

Oh. Right. That reminded him-

Merlin lifted his head from the ground just as they reached the restaurant, something high class that Merlin could never afford, and looked up the few inches between him and Lucas. "Don't worry, by the way," he began. "You're girlfriend isn't cheating on you and she never will. When you head back tomorrow, she'll be at the station…and she needs to talk to you about something important."

Lucas stared at Merlin was minutely narrowed eyes, trying to process what he'd said. After about five seconds, he blinked and seemed to come out of the trance. "Right," he said lightly, a gentle smile gracing his face as he held the door open for Merlin to go in first. "Thanks for the heads up."

Merlin smiled. One last person helped.

…

…

On Wednesday, Merlin waved Lucas off at the station for lack of anything else to do. Lucas gave him a big hug to thank him, again, for all he'd done and wished him the best of luck with Arthur.

He spent the rest of the day curled up in bed. With no one there to distract him, not even Gaius, Merlin was swallowed by the emptiness he felt inside. He stared at the blue sheets on his bed with clouded eyes, rarely blinking and seeing nothing but images of the past and a future that could have been.

…

…

On Thursday, Merlin woke up at about two in the afternoon. He wandered into the kitchen for something to eat and found a note from Gaius saying he'd gone to work but he'd made homemade oatmeal and left it in the fridge. Thirty seconds in the microwave and 'breakfast' was served.

He'd meant to maybe watch some T.V., but seeing the couch made him remember Valentine's Day and snuggling and kissing and so he laid in bed again instead, repeating yesterday's routine.

His eyes were dry, but the world was gray. He felt so cliché, but it was true….Without Arthur, Merlin felt like he'd lost everything that meant anything in his life.

…

…

Everything changed on Friday.

Gwen called at about ten that morning and asked if Merlin would take her shopping. She wanted to buy a new outfit before school started up again and Morgana was busy dealing with issues at home. Merlin agreed for two reasons: 1) Gwen was his friend and he'd do practically anything for her. 2) He wanted, _needed_, some way to get his mind off Arthur…so that maybe he could move on.

"So I know clothing isn't your specialty," Gwen was saying as they headed down one of Camelot's busier streets, "but I need you to tell me if what I pick out looks good on me, ok?"

"Sure thing, Gwen," Merlin agreed with a little smile. "I'll do my best."

Gwen frowned. She ran two steps ahead and then turned to stand in Merlin's way, stopping their walk abruptly. She examined his face curiously. "Merlin…are you ok?"

"What makes you say that?" Merlin asked nervously. He'd been hoping to hide it from Gwen, but it seemed he wasn't doing such a great job of it.

"I don't know," Gwen said uncertainly. "You seem…sick. Unwell, somehow…Did something happen to Gaius?" She shook her head, hitting herself with her right hand. "Well, duh, obviously not. He answered the phone when I called this morning. Stupid," she chastised herself. Merlin smiled and Gwen got back on topic. "But really, are you alright?"

Merlin nodded. "Not quite. But I will be," he assured her, his smile still in place.

Gwen frowned, gripping her purse a bit tighter. "Are you just saying that…or did you sense something?"

Sense. Horn. Scream. Blood. Pain. Cold.

Merlin's eyes widened. His head flipped around, frantically searching the street. It was so faint…where…where…Where was she?

"Merlin?" Gwen asked in concern. "What? What is it? What's wrong?"

Merlin shook his head. "A little girl. Blonde. Pink dress. Barbie doll….where?" he asked in fragments.

Gwen began looking around too, thrown into a panic at Merlin's fear. She turned her head back and forth and spun in circles looking, before she spotted the girl. "Merlin!" she cried, pointing.

Merlin saw her. She was trailing behind her parents as they walked down the street, talking to her doll. Her parents turned at the corner and continued down the next street, but the girl wasn't paying attention to them and kept walking straight – into traffic.

"Melinda!" Merlin shouted, bolting forward.

The girl didn't hear him and kept walking. Merlin ran as fast as he could, faster than he had when searching for Lucas. Melinda looked up and noticed her parents weren't with her and stopped walking in the middle of the street, searching. Merlin's feet hit the black asphalt. Melinda turned to face the oncoming car as the driver hit the horn. Gwen screamed.

…

…

Arthur pushed back from his desk and leaned back in his chair with a great sigh. It had been four days since he'd spoken to Merlin. It had been four days since that terrible fight...and he was already falling to pieces. His father and Morgana had noticed, no doubt. He had no appetite, he went on long runs more often than not, he barely spoke to either of them and when he did it was only to snap or yell. He'd been the one to end things with Merlin and yet he felt like he'd been the one left out in the rain with nowhere to go. Arthur covered his face in his hands and sighed again.

"Sighing gives you wrinkles," Morgana announced in a rush as she sped past his room.

"What?" he let out, but she was already gone. Curious, Arthur stood from his desk, his homework forgotten, and went downstairs. "Morgana?" He looked around but didn't see her.

"You just missed her," Uther Pendragon's voice announced. "She's already run out," he grumbled.

"Where's she going in such a rush?" Arthur mused aloud.

"I don't know," Uther scowled. He barely seemed to realize the person he was talking to was Arthur, actually _talking_ to him for once in a week. "Something about someone she knows being in a car wreck...a Marvin or something." He waved the conversation away and walked toward his study.

"Marv…in…?" Arthur breathed out, and then it hit him. His blood ran cold. Merlin? In a car wreck? He hurried back up to his room before his legs collapsed out from under him and he fell to the floor in the center of the room. He caught himself on his hands, but barely.

He wanted to run to the hospital as fast as he could and make sure that Merlin was alright. He wanted to apologize for being stupid and promise to never let Merlin get hurt again. He wanted to hold him tight and let Merlin know that Lucas didn't matter one bit, that he was sorry. He wanted to know what was wrong now, right now, but he knew that he couldn't. If he went to the hospital then everyone would know that he cared for Merlin. If he went to the hospital then everything would be ruined...if it wasn't ruined already. God, _why_ had he been so _stupid_ as to ignore Merlin for so long? What if Merlin was dying and the last thing he'd said was that fight?

He wanted to see Merlin, now more than ever. Arthur looked out the window at the evening sky. "Please...don't let it be too late. I need to tell him the truth. I need to tell him, even if he already knows, that I love him."

…

…

Spring break ended and school began again the next Monday with no one else any the wiser about Merlin's condition. Morgana had come home Saturday night with bags under her eyes from lack of sleep, her hair undone from its usual braided ponytail, and with tear tracks dried on her cheeks. She'd skipped dinner and instead went straight to her room upon arriving home.

Arthur excused himself from dinner as well, suddenly unable to even consider keeping anything down.

Sunday he had managed to ask Morgana what happened at the hospital with her friend Marvin. She'd angrily shouted that it was 'Merlin' not 'Marvin' and that he'd been hit by a truck while saving a little girl. She'd said the girl was dead when she reached the hospital and that Merlin hadn't woken up yet.

Monday brought the same news. Merlin was still unconscious and barely clinging to life.

Arthur stopped at his locker after classes that day and leaned his forehead against the cool metal there. He took a deep breath. He felt like he had no energy. Everything he had was being put into pretending nothing was wrong.

"Hey, Arthur," Matthew called out quietly as he and Greg and Adam all came upon him in the hallway. "What's the matter?"

Arthur started and pushed himself back off his locker. Clearing his throat he began, "Sorry. Ahem. Sorry," he repeated. "Morgana's stupid friend got in a car wreck this past week and she's been insufferable," he said by way of explanation.

It wasn't a lie. She'd yelled at Arthur that morning for burning his own toast, saying it was people like him that hurt Merlin by not paying enough attention to the world around them.

"Stupid friend?" Gregory asked before understanding lit his face. "Oh! You mean the freak?" He elbowed Adam in the ribs with a grin. "How 'bout that, eh?"

Adam scowled. "The shit deserved it: talking about other people's families and being a false prophet and all. You know," he said as if enlightened, "if he really were psychic…wouldn't he have _known_ the car was coming?" He grinned and the three of them started chuckling to themselves.

Arthur slammed his fist into his locker, actually denting the metal a bit, and glared at his friends when they looked at him in alarm. "_Shut up_," he said in a threatening voice. "I don't care what we say about him, alright? You don't get to _laugh_ about someone in a _car_ _accident_….especially when they were trying to save a six year old _girl_."

Without waiting for their response, Arthur turned, slung his bag over his shoulder, and stormed out of the school towards his car. Matt, Greg, and Adam stared either at his locker or his retreating back in shock. After a few moments, Matt gasped.

"A car accident!" he practically shouted, but lowered his voice when he realized how loud he was being. "He must be having issues because _he_ was nearly in a fatal car accident _last_ year." He waved his hands like it would wave the awkward air about them away. "He'll be fine in a couple of days. I'm sure of it. Then, given he's not dead, we can go back to picking on Merlin as much as we like."

Adam and Greg shrugged simultaneously, gave each other considering frowns, and accepted it. It made sense, after all….didn't it?

…

…

Tuesday, none of Arthur's friends even spoke to him. They didn't get the chance. Arthur walked to his locker that morning, entered his combination, opened the door, and found a note folded up on the floor of his locker. Curiously, Arthur set his things in the metal case and picked up the paper, unfolding it with a frown.

'_CGH 416'_

Arthur's eyes widened. He took the paper, left his stuff in the locker, shut his locker, and smoothly left the campus. He doubted anyone even saw him go in the rush of people heading inside before the bell. He took his car and parked it in a grocery store lot a block from Camelot General Hospital before walking to the imposing blue and white building. It was six stories tall and the leader in practically any medical knowledge anywhere.

When he walked inside, Arthur almost bypassed the front desk until he realized he had to sign in first. He wrote Roger Williams on the paper before slipping away and into the elevator. The nurses would probably recognize him if he stood in any one place too long: he was the police chief's son after all, and he didn't want them telling his father he was skipping school, lying about who he was, or visiting the school freak.

The elevator stopped on the fourth floor and Arthur stepped out nervously, looking from side to side for some indication of where room 416 would be. There. On the wall. 400-424 with an arrow pointing to Arthur's right. He walked quickly and yet calmly down the hall until he was standing outside room 416. _Merlin Emrys_ was written on the name card outside the door.

Arthur took a deep breath and turned the handle. The room was dark: the curtains pulled shut and the lights off. A light from the small window in the door and a little table lamp were the only things letting Arthur see Merlin at all; and he wished he couldn't see a thing.

Merlin's left leg was up in a cast that covered the majority of his leg from ankle to thigh. His left arm was in a similar state, covering even his fingers. His head was bandaged and what Arthur could see of his chest and right arm were bandaged as well, though there were no more casts. His face had relatively light cuts and bruises on it, but Arthur still felt like each one was a threat to Merlin's life.

As if sensing Arthur's stare, Merlin's eyes snapped open and focused on Arthur standing at the foot of the bed. Neither teen said a thing, merely staring at each other. After what felt like a century, Merlin gasped out, "Arthur," like he could finally breathe again.

Arthur cracked. He took three swift steps to stand at Merlin's right side, took Merlin's right hand gently in his own, and fell to his knees crying. "I'm so sorry," he breathed against the bed sheets and Merlin's arm.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked quietly.

Arthur shook his head. "I was completely out of line. I was stupid," he insisted, unable to look at Merlin's face through his tears. "You would never hurt me. I know that. I _knew_ that. But I still….My god, you could've _died_ and I would've….The last time I saw you, I was _yelling_ at you….I was so afraid-!" He squeezed Merlin's hand a tiny bit harder and laid his head down in the sheets as the tears cascaded down and out of his eyes to be soaked up in the thin white material of the hospital bed covers.

Merlin wished he could hold Arthur right then, but he could barely move. He woke up last night while Gaius and Gwen were here. Gwen had gone for dinner and so Merlin had Gaius write Arthur the note, which Gaius then asked Gwen to put in Arthur's locker at school (though they just told her a number, not whose it was). Merlin had woken up with the world in full color and the future as plain as the present in his mind. And now Arthur was here with him, crying for him, and Merlin felt so at peace….

He squeezed Arthur's hand in return, softly, and Arthur's watering eyes snapped to look at him. "You came," Merlin said simply, smiling. That was all that mattered.

"Of course I came," Arthur half-chastised. "I…." He took a deep breath. "I love you."

Merlin's eyes widened in awe. He'd said it. Arthur had said it! "You…," he trailed off, and a smile faded into existence on his lips with brilliance. "I love you too, Arthur. Forever."

Arthur nodded. "I know." He wiped his eyes roughly but couldn't stop the tears. His chest was swelling while his heart was being squeezed. Forever. "I'm sorry I accused you of cheating. You've been nothing but patient with me and at the first hint of jealousy I let loose on you. I was stupid. I should've known better-!"

Merlin shook his head as best he could and gave a reassuring smile. "You're a guy in a relationship, Arthur. It's perfectly normal to get jealous when the one you love is being friendly with an attractive, older guy. Besides," he managed a laugh but winced, "I'm the one who can see the future…not you."

Arthur frowned a bit. "How?" he asked. "How did this happen with your power?"

Merlin decisively refused to tell Arthur about his lapse in 'living.' "I was with Gwen and…and I felt it. Melinda. She wasn't paying attention and she walked into full traffic…." He squeezed his eyes shut as tears began to form. "I tried but….she still _died_…."

Merlin's heart rate monitor began beeping faster, showing what the loss did to him, and Arthur squeezed his good hand tighter. "Shhh," he breathed out. "You did everything you could. You did your best." He kissed the back of Merlin's hand and that calmed Merlin more than the words did. "You good?" Arthur asked in a whisper. Merlin nodded. After a few seconds, "How long until you get out of here?"

Merlin shrugged. When he spoke, his voice was quieter than before but not quite a whisper. "I don't know…two or three weeks? The doctor said it'll be anywhere from three to six months before I'm completed healed though." He smiled. "At least it wasn't my dominant side that got all screwed up, right?"

Arthur couldn't smile. "How are you going to finish school? You'll be held back…"

"Like I said, it's not my dominant side," Merlin repeated. "I'll just have Gwen bring me my assignments and get notes from other kids in class. It'll be fine. And in two months, I'll have all summer to heal up."

Arthur lifted his left hand and trailed it gently down the side of Merlin's face, a deep expression on his face. "And I'll be there for you all the way. I'll keep the bullies off of you, and help you as much as I can. I don't care if anyone finds out. You need me and I'm going to be there."

Merlin nodded as best he could. "Thank you, Arthur." He felt so warm inside. Everything would be perfect. No one would find out and Arthur was going to be by his side the whole time.

Arthur leaned over the bed and pressed his lips to Merlin's in a gentle, chaste kiss full of promises.

…

…

Merlin only managed to return to school for the last three weeks of class. True to his word, Arthur kept the bullies off of Merlin physically. They still called him names from afar, but he'd threatened to break both the arms of whoever actually touched him, so Merlin was free to hobble on his crutches through the halls unscathed. It was difficult, no doubt, with a hurt arm on the same side of his body as his hurt leg, but Merlin managed it with help from Gwen and Morgana. It was during this time that Morgana gained respect for Arthur through his 'kindness' towards Merlin – because even _Arthur_ wouldn't attack a cripple.

Gwen was over at Merlin's house more often than not. She and Gaius babied Merlin like every breath would send him crumbling to the ground. Morgana showed up several times and was strict as a drill sergeant on how he took his recovery. The day summer break hit, Merlin left for Ealdor with Gaius. Two days later, Arthur went 'backpacking in the mountains' and vanished from the public eye. He stayed with Gaius, Hunith, and Merlin all summer as Merlin's bones healed one by one and he had to partially re-teach the muscles how to work. He kissed his boyfriend every day, usually several times a day, and said goodnight every night with an 'I love you' in the mix. Half-way through summer break, Merlin's leg was the only thing still in a cast or bandage and the rest of him was stretching in the fresh air.

Two weeks before Junior year started, Merlin was up and about and ready to take on the world….or close to it. Arthur returned home to Camelot with a long-drawn out goodbye that nearly made him miss his train. Merlin and Gaius came back a week later and Gwen and Morgana descended upon the house like a wave upon the shore. All in all, Merlin would say that summer was very successful.

And that was how Merlin Emrys and Arthur Pendragon began their junior year at Camelot High School.

…

…

TBC...


	7. Junior Year Part 1

**MERRY CHRISTMAS!** Thank you all so much for sticking with me through this story. I know I've been slow and sporadic with updates, but regardless, you all have kept reading. I can't thank you enough for that. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

...

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_August, 2003_

"No!" Merlin shouted before his head was down the toilet. He knew it was better not to fight them, and he knew he wasn't going to drown in the swirling water, but it was hard to fight the human urge to get one's head out of whatever was causing them issues to breathe.

He flailed and grabbed the toilet seat and pushed back against his tormentors, but to no avail. Just before the water in the toilet began refilling the basin, he was released and came flying back out of the toilet bowl with a gasp. He coughed a bit of water out and focused on breathing properly as the jocks around him laughed.

"He looks like a drowned rat!" a sophomore named Dan chortled.

Gregory was leading the gang. He sneered. "I could snap you like a twig, twerp," he threatened easily, and Merlin was only mildly surprised by how rough and tough he made himself out to be when Arthur wasn't around. "And only the other _rats_ would miss you."

What a beautiful first day of school.

…

…

"Oh my god, Merlin!" Gwen gasped upon seeing him. "What happened to you?"

Merlin sat in his seat in his last class of the day with a plop, droplets of water running down his neck and wetting his shirt and with his hair all pushed in one direction. He'd done his best to undo the swirl effect before coming to class, but he couldn't get dry and his hair seemed partially stuck that way until he could get some more water on it…like with a shower.

"Ah," Merlin sighed, "Life happened."

Gwen lowered her hands from her mouth with a frown. "Arthur and his goons again?" she asked with a tad of acid in her voice.

Merlin shook his head, a bit of water falling off his head. "Actually, Arthur wasn't even there." He paused a moment. "He was actually in with a councilor the whole time. It was just his goons." He took a deep breath as he pulled his binder from his bag. "You can't blame Arthur for this one."

"Yes we can," Morgana corrected, sitting down in the chair on Merlin's other side with purpose and grace. She'd matured over the summer and was beginning to look like a rich lady now. Merlin had no doubt she would be approached by men for the rest of her life, all wanting just a taste of her graces. "Arthur started this mess. He's teaching everyone to act as he does."

Merlin shook his head, gentler this time so as not to spray the girls with water. "Arthur didn't start this. Cedric started this." He paused. "Well, actually the cheerleader started it. And if you count her, then _I _actually started it by warning her."

"Merlin," Morgana disagreed.

Before Merlin or Morgana could say anything else, the teacher walked in and class began. She, the teacher, paused a moment to stare oddly at Merlin, who just waved shyly back. The teacher shook her head, 'boys' written clearly on her face, before actually starting class.

Later that day, Morgana would get on to Arthur about his 'thugs' giving Merlin a swirly. The following day, Merlin met Arthur in an unoccupied classroom during lunch. Arthur apologized and Merlin told him it was fine and they kissed and promised a lunch date that Saturday and Merlin said he'd come to Arthur's track meet in two months and everything was O.K.

…

…

It was about a month into the school year and Merlin was sitting on the bleachers by the track where he'd first learned he liked Arthur, doing some homework while he waited for Arthur to finish up practice. He was doing inside practice today with his team, so the actual track was empty and no one would bother Merlin here. He was just finishing his math homework when the feeling trickled in. Merlin let his eyes trail over the field slowly before packing his bag and hurrying as softly as he could down the metal bleachers to the ground.

On either side of the track were the bleachers. On either _end_ of the track were concrete buildings that were used as locker rooms, concession stands, and bathrooms during pep rallies and track races and anything else held on the track. Merlin headed for the building closest to the school and walked into the men's bathroom. And there it was: crying.

The handicapped stall at the end had its door shut, and Merlin set his bag on the ground by the entrance before stepping up to the door. He placed his hands on the wood of the door and quietly called out, "Matthew?"

The sounds of crying stopped abruptly and Merlin heard fabric move as Matthew tried to wipe his eyes dry.

"You can keep crying, Matthew," he said. "I won't tell anyone." He grinned. "Who would listen anyway, right?" He waited for a few moments, but there was no hint of movement in the stall. Merlin stared at the tile where it vanished beneath the stall door. "It's alright. They'll call you names and pick on you, just like they do to me, but you've got to know that it isn't the end of the world." He shut his eyes. "Being gay doesn't change who you are as a person, Matthew. It only means that you're different, but that isn't a bad thing. Never think of it as a bad thing." He took a deep breath and lifted his head a bit so he could lean it on the door. "People are scared. They fear what they don't understand. People like Greg, and Adam, and Dan,….and Cedric….they don't….they don't understand either of us, Matt. But that shouldn't change us. You're stronger than them. You're going to do great things with your life. You're going to go far. So don't let them get you down, because it doesn't matter what they think….as long as you know it isn't true; as long as you keep your head held high and keep moving forward." Merlin waited a moment to let Matthew process what he'd said. "And it's alright to cry, Matt. Crying isn't weakness. If you feel sad, it's alright to let it out. It takes a real man to let himself cry…instead of holding it all inside."

Merlin heard movement from inside the stall, and slow footsteps, before the lock on the door was pulled back. Merlin lifted his head and dropped his hands from the door a moment before it swung slowly open, revealing a teary eyed Matthew. There was a bruise forming on his left cheek and he would have a black eye soon, and his hair was shorter in the front on the left side than on the right by two inches. Merlin gave him a sympathetic smile and reached up to touch where they'd cut his hair.

"It's nothing a trip to the hair dresser won't fix," he assured Matthew softly, practically whispering. "You'll be fine."

Matthew's eyes scrunched up, tears gathering in them anew, and then he threw his arms around Merlin's shoulders, hiding his face between his arm and Merlin's neck, and sobbed. Merlin wrapped his arms around Matthew's waist, holding him surely and securely. It would be fifteen minutes before Matthew was out of tears, and Merlin would stay with him the whole time. Arthur had practice for another hour anyway.

…

…

A week later….

Merlin hit the metal of the lockers and let out a little breath of air. Arthur smirked as the rest of the jocks – football, baseball, soccer, track – all laughed at Merlin's face.

"You seem to like the lockers, _Mer_lin," Arthur half-sneered. "How'd you like to see one from the _inside_?"

Dan chortled loudly and moved to the front of the group, at Arthur's side. "Sounds like fun," he agreed. "I'll show you to your room," he said to Merlin, grabbing him by the upper right arm in a tight and almost painful grip.

Merlin winced. Knowing how hard someone was going to grab you and actually having them grab you are two totally different things. He glared up at Dan and opened his mouth to say something nasty, like how he was going to fail completely at the next baseball game, but never got the chance. He shut his mouth and looked to his left a moment before Dan's hand was knocked away and Dan himself was shoved away from Merlin.

Everyone stared in shock at the person there. His black hair was in an attractive, boyish cut that ended just at his ears, but it was definitely still-

"Matthew?" Arthur let out. "You cut your hair?" he asked incredulously.

"Oh look," one of the other jocks cooed. "The fairy's back in school."

Arthur blinked, surprise on his face. Matthew was…what? He hadn't heard anything about this! He'd just known that Matthew was out of school for a week.

Matthew smirked, standing tall and proving he was taller than most of the other boys there. "Yea. He is," he said confidently. "And he's gonna kick the ass of every ass that lays a hand on Merlin, got it?"

"Ooh," Dan laughed. "Matthew and Merlin, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g," he sang.

Arthur's eyes narrowed and he scowled. Matthew shook his head. "Believe what you want, wimp wad. I won't bother telling you it isn't true, because your feeble brain won't comprehend it. Just know that I'm not gonna stand for this behavior anymore." Arthur looked between Merlin and Matthew a few times and Merlin shrugged his shoulders minutely with a tiny smile.

"I'm so scared," another jock laughed. "What are you gonna do? Sprinkle fairy dust on us?"

Matthew shook his head. "Fresh out, sorry," he said with a shrug. "I _will_ totally demolish you on the track though, so watch your back, Fred," he threatened coolly.

Fred bristled. He stepped forward, right into Matthew's personal bubble, and lifted his fist ominously, but the school bell rang then and students began rushing for their classrooms. Fred let out a breath harshly. "You were lucky this time, but just wait until the meet. You'll learn who's boss then."

The jocks all split up, looking equally perturbed, and headed for class. Arthur stood there a moment longer than the others and Matthew gave him an 'I dare you' look. Arthur shook his head and walked away, rubbing the back of his neck in unease. Matthew turned to Merlin with a bright smile.

"That felt really good," he let out with a light laugh.

Merlin smiled back, but not as brightly. "Thanks, Matt." He gave him a once over. "You look good today. The new look suits you."

Matthew blushed and scratched his neck in embarrassment. "Well, it's a new beginning for me." He looked off down the hallway. "I hope I can keep it up…."

Merlin knew what he was actually worried about and clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry," he said when Matthew was looking at him again, "Arthur won't let them beat you up as long as he's there. I'm the only one with that privilege," he joked.

"I'll protect you," Matthew promised. "You really helped me out, and I'm gonna help you in return."

"Whatever you want to do," Merlin grinned. "I'll see you at lunch," he said in goodbye before releasing Matthew's shoulder and heading for class.

And, as Merlin had said, Matthew sat with him, Morgana, and Gwen at lunch. And he did the same the next day, and the next, and the next. Soon, Matthew was just as strong a believer in Merlin's gift as Morgana and Gwen. He stood up to the jocks in the halls and showed them up in practice – except for Arthur of course, who beat him every time. And, as Merlin had promised, Arthur never let the other guys lay a hand on Matt. He said it wasn't right to pick on one of their own. Now, if they caught Matt alone and without Arthur around, they let him have it and he showed up the next day with bruises all over. But Matt took it as well as Merlin did and just smiled through it and said he was tougher than any of those 'close minded apes.' And he became a good friend.

…

…

_Ding dong!_

"Trick or treat!" five little voices yelled at once, all trying to be louder than the rest.

Arthur laughed, showing off his fangs, and knelt down before them. "Well, well, what perfectly frightening monsters we have here," he greeted in a smooth voice. "The hulk, Spiderman, batman, a fairy, and…ooh, Princess Jasmine," he said with interest. Leaning in closer to her he said, "I will give you the choice _I_…never had…..How would you like to become a vampire, princess?"

He winked and the little girl giggled, shaking her head. "No!" she laughed out.

Arthur put a hand over his heart, stepping back and away from them and looking hurt. "Oh, rejection. Never before-"

"Down boy," Merlin teased, moving passed Arthur with a large orange bowl with black spiders and webs painted on it in his hands. "Who wants candy?" he asked.

The kids, except Spiderman, all jumped with smiles on their faces. "Me! Me!" Spiderman, on the other hand, looked scared. Merlin dropped two pieces of candy into each of their bags and then turned on Spiderman, who flinched.

"What's the matter? Are you scared of the Phantom?" Merlin asked, even though he knew. His costume frightened the boy. Merlin set the bowl down and reached up towards his face, and the boy shook his head 'no', and then pulled the half mask away to reveal his entire face. He smiled. "The Phantom is just a man, see?"

The little boy, maybe six years old, smiled at Merlin's kind reassurance, and nodded. "Yea."

"Now, do you want some candy?" Merlin asked. Spiderman nodded enthusiastically and Merlin dropped three pieces into his bag, to the chagrin of the other kids.

"Hey!"

"Come on, kids, we've got a lot of houses to cover," a woman at the street side called out. They all whined and complained as they walked away and Merlin chuckled, standing back up.

"I told you the Phantom of the Opera would scare little kids," Arthur half-teased him.

Merlin snorted, slipping his mask back on. "That is the point of Halloween, Arthur," he corrected. "To scare away the spirits of the dead."

"What about the spirits of the living?" Arthur asked as they moved back inside of Merlin's house, shutting the door behind them.

Merlin tousled Arthur shoulder length curly blonde hair, stepping in way too close to the point where they were breathing the same air. "Well," he breathed out, "I'd suspect you'd taken care of that, my dear Lestat."

Arthur gulped. He could only see half of Merlin's face with that blasted mask, but the eyes were both visible and they were both staring at him with such intensity. He felt like there wasn't enough air in the room all of a sudden and it seemed to be several degrees hotter than before. Merlin blinked and pulled back a moment before Gaius walked in from the kitchen carrying popcorn.

"Popcorn's ready," he announced, setting the bowl – much smaller than the candy bowl – on the coffee table. Merlin smiled, pulling his mask off once again, and sat down to eat some.

Arthur gulped down one more breath to steady himself before removing his fangs and sitting down next to Merlin. They had finished half the bowl, and played with the other half, by the time the doorbell rang again. Quickly wiping any popcorn from their persons and putting their mask and teeth back in, Arthur answered the door with Merlin close behind him. He jumped back when he saw who was on the other side of the door.

"Ah," he let out.

"Hm?" the woman let out, squinting at him. "Oh!" she cheered. "Arthur! I didn't know you were over tonight!"

"Hello, Mrs. Collins," Arthur greeted warily. He'd met her several times since the first time two years ago, and she'd always creeped him out. She wasn't doing drugs anymore…that they were aware of…but she was still freaky. It didn't help that she was dressed as an evil witch, her hair in disarray and her clothes looking dirty and half burnt on the edges.

"I was just wondering if you and Merlin had some candy to spare," she asked, her voice a bit wheezy. It had always been wheezy and Merlin said it was the drugs that did it.

"We've got plenty," Merlin announced, moving around Arthur and standing like a shield between him and Mary Collins. He held out the huge bowl to her. "Take what you'd like."

Mary's eyes widened and lit up at the sight and she smiled, large and with very crooked teeth. "Thank you," she gushed. "Very much!"

Merlin smiled gently. "I'm happy to help. How's your husband?"

Mary shrugged. "He's having more trouble than me it seems….but he's doing alright by most accounts." She grinned, and it was freaky. "And how are you two doing?" she asked slyly with a wink in Arthur's direction.

Arthur suppressed a shiver. Merlin let out a single, nervous laugh. "We're enjoying Halloween." He nodded to the street. "More kids coming," he noted as four guys dressed in monster costumes turned the corner. Mary jumped a bit and scurried back to her own house with the candy she'd taken from their bowl. Merlin shut the door and set the bowl on the table they'd sat just inside for quick access. "Arthur, go down the hall for a moment, would you?" he mostly stated instead of asked.

With a frown, but not a word, Arthur turned and vanished down the hallway to Merlin's bedroom. Gaius came out of the hallway a breath before the doorbell rang. Merlin jerked his head toward the door and Gaius walked faster, opening the door while Merlin stood to the side by the candy bowl, picking out eight non-chocolate pieces of candy. The door opened, revealing four high school guys dressed as various creatures: a crude version of a swamp thing, a werewolf, the Beast from X-Men, and Solid Snake.

"Trick or Treat, pops," Beast demanded.

Gaius bristled. "Why I-"

"Here you go," Merlin interrupted, pushing past Gaius with a gentle shove. "Alec," he said to the swamp thing as he placed two pieces of candy in his pumpkin bowl. "Greg," two pieces to the werewolf. "Fred," to Solid Snake. "Stuart," to Beast. He smiled, something creepy that the original Phantom would've worn rather than the romantic one, "Have a wonderful rest of the evening, out prowling the dark with all the other creatures of the night." His tone was something ominous and none of the guys said anything, all their jaws dropped to their chests at Merlin's attitude.

Merlin stepped back and further inside and Gaius shut the door before turning to face his nephew. "Merlin, what was that?" he asked. "You gave me the creeps."

Merlin tossed out a shrug. "It's Halloween. I can be creepy and get back at the jocks for one night." He tilted his head toward the door as if listening for a moment before leaning it the opposite direction and calling, "Arthur, you can come out now."

Gaius's eyebrows rose and his mouth formed an 'Oh!' "Those boys were from your school?" he asked incredulously. "That blue man was so rude."

"I will admit my friends aren't the best models of good behavior," Arthur commented upon his return to the living room, "but they aren't always bad guys. Sometimes, with people like themselves, they're really good for moral and physical support. Greg dislocated his knee last year and Dan personally helped him to each and every one of his classes until his knee was better." He shrugged, dropping onto the couch. "I guess it's partly because the athletes at Camelot High are sort of like a pack, and a pack defends its own, you know?"

Gaius shrugged while simultaneously shaking off the encounter. "Bah," he let out, turning away from the living room and heading back for the hallway and his own bedroom. "High school."

Merlin and Arthur glanced at each other for a moment once he was gone before chuckling softly to themselves. Oh the drama.

…

…

Arthur woke up the following morning with Merlin sleeping in the crook of his arm and his own legs encompassing Merlin's. On Merlin's neck were teeth marks and Arthur remembered the wonderful way they'd ended last night, all hands and fiery touches and Arthur getting really into character and biting Merlin's neck all to hell. He let his head fall back against the pillows of Merlin's bed with a sigh. It was a good thing there was no school until Monday, because Arthur was certain there was no way for Merlin to hide those marks completely under his clothes.

He gently ran his hand up and down Merlin's bare back, his own eyes shut tight against the morning light, and let his mind wander. They were lying there, in Merlin's bed, naked, and suddenly Arthur was aware that they'd been dating for nearly two years and they hadn't had sex yet. They'd done amazing things together; really, _really_ good and wonderful and _amazing_ things, but technically….Arthur was pretty sure they were both still considered virgins. It was shocking. And Arthur wanted to, _god_ knew he wanted to, but he was worried. He'd heard about it, read about it, and he knew that if he were the one penetrating Merlin, then Merlin could get hurt, and vice versa, and Arthur never wanted to hurt Merlin and was scared of how bad it would hurt himself. He knew this couldn't go on forever though. One of these days, maybe soon, they would have to break out of this comfort zone and really consummate their relationship.

…

…

Arthur dropped Merlin down gently on a bench and Merlin leaned back with a deep breath. "Whoo…," he let out airily.

Arthur sat next to him, a red cap on his head blocking out the sun and partially hiding who he was even though Merlin had assured him he really didn't need it; no one from Camelot High that 'mattered' besides Gwen or Morgana would come to this fair for the middle and lower class citizens, and no one from their school was there today nor would they take notice of Merlin or Arthur if they were. But Arthur wore the cap anyway.

"I told you riding the cups was a bad idea," Arthur half-grumbled, but with a hint of concern showing through.

Merlin laughed. "I know. But I couldn't help myself," he said with a grin, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes with his head back and facing the sky. "I love making it spin as fast as it can go."

"Even though you know you'll get sick?" Arthur asked dubiously.

Merlin nodded. "It's strange…I know…..Just give me a minute and we'll ride The Devastator," he said as if answering a question and Arthur looked nonplussed for the briefest of moments before his expression cleared and he smiled. The Devastator was the biggest, fastest ride at the fair; not the most exciting ride ever, but for a traveling fair it was supposed to be something special.

Arthur spread his arms across the back of the bench, bent at the elbows so his left arm wouldn't knock into Merlin, and leaned his head back as well. He squinted his eyes in the sun that was suddenly bypassing the cap and shining directly on his retinas, but quickly closed them to try and block out the light. It didn't help much, but it was a little better. He sighed, laying his right hand over his eyes to make the world dark, and it was a content noise.

"This has been fun," he commented lightly, softly. "Not to say last year wasn't great, because it was. I love catching a movie and I love making out….but it's nice to get to go on an honest to god date with your boyfriend on your anniversary, in the daylight and all….It makes me feel normal," and there was a smile in his voice as he spoke.

Arthur's smile dropped in confusion when he felt something across his left arm and he lifted his hand to look. Merlin had his right arm draped over Arthur's left and, as Arthur watched, he entwined their fingers. It felt like the sun had suddenly taken up residence in Arthur's chest, warmth spreading throughout his body, and a smile lit his face. He leaned over and lifted their hands to place a kiss on the back of Merlin's hand.

"I love you," he whispered against the skin just beyond his lips. Merlin shivered and opened his eyes, turning his head to give Arthur a deep and indescribable look.

The darker of the two teens shifted until he had his head on Arthur's left shoulder, their hands on Arthur's left knee now. "You are the greatest, kindest, most beautiful man I have, or ever will meet," Merlin responded quietly. Arthur blushed, knowing Merlin wasn't kidding or speaking lightly about that fact. After a moment, a precious moment, of stillness and quiet, Merlin planted a quick kiss to Arthur's shoulder beneath his cheek, squeezed his hand, and stood up. "Come on. Let's go ride The Devastator," he urged, a grin on his face.

It took Arthur a moment to gather himself and stand to join his boyfriend. He wrapped his left arm around Merlin's shoulders and leaned in to him as they walked. Barely anyone looked at them as they passed and, for a moment, Arthur wondered if only the rich and infamous cared about a person's sexuality and what his and Merlin's relationship would have been like had they both been middle-class people.

…

…

Matthew walked down the hall at a leisurely pace. Classes were in session but he'd left to use the bathroom and he was taking his sweet time getting back. He hated math with a passion.

Tip tip tip

"Huh?" Matt stopped and looked around. "What?"

Tip tap tip

He faced back the way he'd come. "Hello?" he called softly. What was that noise?

"Hrrr," a voice called and the metallic tapping sound continued, leading him three lockers down the hall to a locker with a big black 'L' written on it. As soon as he stopped in front of it, the tapping stopped.

"Hello?" Matthew asked again. "Is someone in there?"

"Hi, Matt," the familiar voice greeted, sounding muted.

Matt jumped back in shock. "_Merlin_?" he hissed out. "How'd you get stuck in there?" He glared. "Let me guess-"

"Look," Merlin interrupted easily. "Could you just get me out?" he asked. "The combination's 42, 17, 6."

Matthew quickly grabbed the lock and turned the dial back and forth in the combination Merlin had given him. The lock popped open and he ripped it out of the hole before snapping the door open so fast it banged against the one next to it. Merlin fell backwards out of the locker onto his butt in the middle of the hall. He shook his head and rolled his shoulders.

"Ah," he let out. "Thanks. My shoulders were starting to cramp."

Matthew grabbed Merlin by the hand and hoisted him up with surprising strength. He didn't look happy. "Arthur did this."

Merlin shook his head. "Why does everyone think all the bad things that happen to me are Arthur's fault? He's not the only one upset with me in this school." He shrugged, moving over to his locker and pulling his bookbag out of the bottom of it. "No. It was some of the other jocks."

"Who?" Matthew asked heatedly. "I'll make them pay."

Merlin shouldered his bag and turned a frown on Matt. "No. If you do that it'll become an endless cycle. Violence creating more violence. It's better if it just ends with me," he stated like it was a simple conclusion. He shut his locker and blinked at the letter there. "Can I borrow your marker?"

"What?" Matthew asked before the question registered in his mind. "Oh." Reaching into his jacket pocket, Matt pulled out the fat black marker that his math teacher used as a bathroom pass. It said 'Party Pen' on the side, but 'Party' had been written over with 'Potty.'

Merlin accepted the marker from him, uncapped it, and proceeded to write 'Mer' on one side of the large 'L' and 'in' on the other side. He smiled at his handy work and stepped back to let Matthew appreciate it too. "There. The locker is now officially mine," he joked.

Though Merlin was taking the abuse quite well, he could tell Matthew was not. Matthew returned to math class while Merlin headed to his AP Psychology class. Morgana would know what had happened before next period started and she'd get mad at Arthur for it. Then Merlin would be there for him.

…

…

Merlin sat on the couch that evening watching T.V. with the sound turned almost all the way down. He stood up a moment before the knocking on the door started. When the door swung open, Arthur immediately stepped inside and flung his arms around Merlin's shoulders, hiding his face next to Merlin's and laying his chin on Merlin's left shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "It really is all my fault. I cause you more trouble than I'm worth, don't I?"

Merlin let out a breath into Arthur's hair and shut the door with his foot. He gently pushed Arthur away far enough that he could lock eyes with his boyfriend. "Morgana's wrong," he said simply, softly. "Matthew's wrong. Gwen is wrong. They're all wrong, Arthur." He squeezed Arthur's shoulders when Arthur simply looked sadder. "They can blame you only because they don't know the truth. They only see what we let them see; the name calling and the bullying and the way everyone with a problem at school takes out their anger on me. And I don't care what they say," he said with a shake of his head, "because they don't know how happy you make me just by looking at me every day, or how your voice calms me down, or anything at all. They don't know you, Arthur."

"But," Arthur tried futilely. Merlin frowned at him and Arthur shut his mouth. His eyes searched Merlin's for several long moments and then he shut them, sighing deeply. "I understand….That doesn't make it any easier to accept though," he said with a shake of his head, opening his eyes, "when your sister's screaming bloody murder at you for creating the anti-Merlin NAZI group at school."

Merlin snorted. "She really called it that?"

Arthur nodded, a grin creeping onto his face. "Yea. She was _really_ pissed."

Merlin smiled and nodded toward the kitchen. "Come on. Gaius made dinner tonight and there're plenty of leftovers for you."

Two steps into the house, Arthur stopped. "Merlin?" he asked hesitantly.

Merlin turned to face him and nodded. "Sure. You're always welcome to stay over." Arthur would just tell Morgana he had slept in his car.

Arthur's answering smile was sweet and grateful and Merlin couldn't help himself. He moved back to Arthur's side and planted a loving kiss on his boyfriend's lips. Arthur's smile turned blinding.

"Now, about that food."

…

…

Tbc…


	8. Junior Year Part 2

This is the part where I beg forgiveness for the lateness. It's been over a month! I'm sorry. I keep getting distracted by life! u.u I WILL finish this story, though. I promise, swear, whatever. It _will_ happen. Please stick with me.

Enjoy the chapter!

_

* * *

_

_January 2004_

Sitting in Drake Park, Merlin couldn't be happier. He was wearing a t-shirt, a sweater, and a jacket because it was ridiculously freezing on this January 1st afternoon, but he didn't mind in the least. He was lying in the grass next to the man of his dreams after enjoying a small cake together in the sun.

Gosh, how cliché sweet. He was loving every minute of it.

"Merlin," Arthur began calmly, sitting up and leaning over his younger boyfriend. He gave Merlin a considering look. "Did you see what I got you?"

Merlin shook his head. "I've kept my inner eyes from peeking. Promise," he said teasingly.

Arthur grinned. "Good. I'd hate to have the surprise ruined." He reached over Merlin to grab his book bag, void of any school books at the moment. From inside the bag he pulled a rectangular wrapped gift with simple blue wrapping paper. "Happy Birthday."

Merlin sat up as Arthur sat back. He accepted the gift and immediately ripping it open with a grand flourish. A gasp escaped him. "Peter and the Star Catchers," he breathed out.

"I was actually worried you'd bought the book yourself," Arthur revealed with a little flush, "what with how often you mentioned wanting it. Really, what's the draw for you?" he asked.

Shaking his head, Merlin flipped through the book, pausing at all the illustrations. "It's a prequel story to Peter Pan, how he became how he is." He shrugged. "I don't know why, but it really caught me. I can't wait to read it." He stopped on an image near the back of the book and pointed to it. Arthur leaned over to look too. It was of a girl standing on someone's hand. She looked sort of like a bird. "I'd bet you anything that's Tinkerbell."

Arthur laughed. "I'm not about to bet against you," he said. Leaning in, Arthur kissed Merlin on the cheek. When Merlin turned to look at him, Arthur gave him a proper kiss on the lips and Merlin shut his book. "I'm glad you like your gift," he murmured once they'd pulled apart again.

"Thank you," Merlin replied at the same level. "One of these days, I'll read it to you." And Arthur would love it too.

"No doubt."

They lounged in the cool sunshine for most of the day, not caring about the occasional jogger or the little kids rushing around the playground nearby. Merlin fell asleep leaning all up against Arthur and Arthur had to carefully lower them both to the ground before he too dozed off. Later that night, Gaius would 'surprise' Merlin with a cake he'd baked himself that tasted a bit like coffee and wasn't the best but wasn't the worst either. For now, Merlin dreamt of the beach and a set of golden rings, of the sun and the moon, of Arthur in the winner's circle with confetti all around, of life.

Life was good.

…

…

"Arthur! Watch how you step around the corners! You're going to twist your ankle!"

Merlin snickered from his hiding place under the bleachers next to the track. Today was the third time this week that Merlin had stayed after school and secretly watched Arthur's track practice. Well, secret from everyone except Arthur. Arthur was actually stepping wrong because he was trying too hard; attempting to show off since Merlin was there.

The science book in front of Merlin in the shade was being completely ignored in lieu of watching the many track team members practice for the track meet in a week. Arthur had been practicing his heart out every day lately. While Merlin knew track was important to Arthur, he also missed spending time with his boyfriend. So Arthur had suggested he come to practice…and he did.

After another misstep sent Arthur tumbling off the track, the coach made him take a break. Arthur snatched a water bottle from next to his gym bag on the bottom bleacher and then casually meandered down the bleachers until he was sitting next to where Merlin was hiding. Merlin leaned with his back against the bleachers, behind Arthur.

"You know, as much fun as it is watching you show off, if it's a problem I can just not come to practice," Merlin said simply, setting his science book against his knees.

"It's not a problem," Arthur responded swiftly. "I'm just having an off day."

"You're just trying to _show_ off, you mean," Merlin corrected. Arthur didn't say anything. Merlin sighed. "I understand why you're doing it, but you don't need to, Arthur. You're an amazing athlete. You're going to do amazing things in this world through your sport. I know it. And I'm impressed."

Arthur shrugged his shoulders and took a large gulp of water. "Yea, I know. But with you knowing I'll do so great, it makes me want to try and outdo what you've felt…."

He was doing a _lot_ trying too. Every day he ran at least three miles, timing himself and getting faster all the time. Arthur had even begun skipping his lunch periods just to run the track a few times. Merlin had to text him to remind him to get to sleep at night instead of going for a nighttime run. He sent him texts to tell Arthur he was doing well and to drink more water. Arthur was giving his all to practice in preparation for the upcoming meet and for Merlin's predictions.

Merlin chuckled, shutting his science book. "You're supposed to try and out do yourself, but what you're trying to do is a bit off the charts," he joked. "Just have faith in your abilities as they are now, Arthur. You're the best there is. Every adversity you face is only going to make you stronger and better. You can do it. And I'll be cheering for you all the way."

Merlin heard Arthur sigh, but it wasn't a sad sound. "Thanks, Merlin."

The younger male smiled. It was kinda cute how Arthur was even jealous of himself sometimes when it came to Merlin. "Any time, Arthur." He waited a breath and then, "I love you."

"I love you too, Merlin," Arthur responded quietly, his head turned a bit so he could see the slight shadow of Merlin behind him. "And one day, we won't have to hide it like this anymore," he promised before standing up and walking off again.

…

…

Merlin turned to watch as Arthur banged his head against his locker down the hall. He had a piece of paper in his hands, but he wasn't looking at it. Arthur stood back, opened his locker, and stuffed the paper in his bag inside. Merlin frowned, shutting his own locker.

During lunch, Merlin diverted and entered the same empty classroom he and Arthur always met in. Arthur was sitting in one of the desks, flopped over the top boneless-ly with his eyes shut. Merlin sighed through his nose and walked over to his boyfriend quietly, though in the silence of the room the soft pads of his feet on the carpet were slightly audible. Merlin put his feet in the seat of the desk in front of Arthur and sat on the desk itself.

"Dad's gonna kill me," Arthur whined softly.

Merlin shook his head. "It's one math test, Arthur," he reasoned. "Your dad isn't going to kill you. Besides, you're his only son and you're only sixteen. Killing you would be kinda drastic," he joked softly, running his fingers gently through Arthur's hair.

Arthur huffed out a breath against the wood of the desk, his eyes still closed but his expression slightly more peaceful. "I guess I can trust I'll live to see Monday if _you're_ the one telling me," he mumbled. "Merlin….Have you never failed a test….because you can tell what the correct answers are?"

Merlin laughed. "No. That's actually how I learned to stop myself from feeling. I kept accidentally cheating on all my tests in Elementary School," he revealed. He shook his head. "I keep my mind in my mind during tests now."

Arthur sighed. He'd kind of been hoping…"Can't you tell me what's gonna happen when I get home?" he asked worriedly. "Let me prepare myself?"

Merlin stopped running his fingers through Arthur's hair and simply let his hand rest on Arthur's head. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath, reaching.

_D -. Anger. Yelling. Morgana's defense. Fear. Panic. Arthur's running. Tears._

Merlin almost stopped right then, but then a different sort of pain flit through his mind, followed by pleasure and completion and contentment. He held in a gasp as he opened his eyes.

"Merlin?" Arthur questioned curiously, opening his eyes to try and look at Merlin.

Shaking his head, Merlin continued running his fingers through Arthur's hair. "No. This is something I think…," he took a breath, trying to calm his racing heart, "….I think this is something you need to do without foreknowledge." He cleared his throat, thanking the darkness of the room because his cheeks felt a bit hot. "Come on, let's talk about something else," he suggested, priding himself on not sounding as flustered as he was.

He felt guilty. The events that were about to unfold were terrible for Arthur but great for Merlin and Arthur's relationship. What would happen at the Pendragon house was terrible, and Merlin was getting excited. Did that make him a bad person or a stereotypical male? He wasn't sure he liked either answer.

…

…

"What's with this test grade, Arthur?" Uther asked quietly.

Arthur winced, standing in the doorway to his father's study. "I was practicing for the meet and-"

"So you're using your _hobby_ to explain a D- on a test?" Uther accused.

Arthur kept his mouth shut and took a few deep breaths. Track wasn't a hobby, but he wasn't going to get into an argument about it right now. He shook his head. "No. I know it was stupid and I should've studied more, but I didn't. I was busy."

"Arthur, if you keep getting grades like these, you'll lose your place at Camelot University. You'll lose your future," Uther stated firmly.

"I know, father."

"You're a grown man now and this type of behavior is unacceptable." Uther glared. "I will _not_ have my son making a fool of himself. We are part of a privileged society, Arthur. We are held to higher standards than D's in school."

"I know, father," Arthur said apologetically.

Uther shook his head. "That's not good enough. Knowing isn't good enough. You must study more often to make up for this lapse. No more track."

Arthur's eyes widened as his heart plummeted. "Father, no!"

"Arthur, that's the end of it!" Uther shouted.

In one flowing movement, Morgana swept into the room and between Uther and Arthur. She glared at her adoptive father. "That is definitely _not_ the end of it, father," she challenged, holding her head up high. "Arthur is the captain of the track team. He's the best Camelot High has ever seen. You can't make him quit and I won't let you, especially not for one _stupid_ test," she criticized. "It wasn't even an important test! Arthur will do better. He will. But he _won't_ stop running."

Uther sneered past Morgana to his son. "Having girls fight your battles for you now, Arthur?"

Arthur felt his temper flare. "No," he stated darkly, stepping forward and gently moving Morgana further back. "But she's right. I'll do better in school. I promise I will. But I will not quit the team."

"You will to quit that team if I say so!"

"No! I love track! I'm going to be a professional athlete, so it doesn't even matter if I don't ace some stupid math course!" Arthur shouted back.

Uther's face was turning purple. "This is my house and I'm in charge! You'll do as I say, Arthur!"

"I won't quit the track team!"

"Fine! Keep your ridiculous hobby! But understand this: _one_ more grade like this and I swear to _God_ I will disown you! And thank the Lord I'm not doing it now for your behavior!"

Arthur's jaw dropped, his eyes widening.

"Father!" Morgana gasped loudly. Uther glared at her too.

"You're on thin ice as well, so don't temp me, Morgana," he seethed. "I will have order in my own house!"

So Arthur turned and left the house.

…

…

Merlin sat on his bed, his elbows on his knees and resting his chin on his entwined fingers, staring at the floor. He shut his eyes, a deep pain coursing through his mind. There was a soft tap on his door and then it opened, revealing Arthur's stricken face. Merlin opened his eyes and looked at Arthur through the dark of his room.

"Arthur," he breathed out sadly.

Arthur's shoulders hitched and he hurried over to Merlin, wrapping his arms around the smaller body and holding him close as he sat down on the bed. He didn't say a word at all, but Merlin could feel him shaking. Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur too and squeezed.

"Shh," he soothed. "He didn't mean it, Arthur. He'll regret he ever said it in a week. Don't worry."

"But what if he ever does kick me out?" Arthur breathed out , leaning his head against Merlin's. "I know you haven't said it'll happen….but what if he learns I'm gay and he throws me out on the streets?"

Merlin smiled, pulling away so he could look Arthur in the eyes. "Then I'll take care of you." He gave Arthur a soft kiss. "I'll always be here for you, Arthur. Always. I love you, and that'll never change."

Arthur stared at Merlin for a long time in silence, and then he leaned forward and kissed Merlin deeply; a kiss full of fear and longing and devotion. It was more than ten seconds before he pulled back, and Merlin sent him a smile when he did. Merlin cupped Arthur's face, using his thumbs to caress Arthur's cheeks as they simply stared at one another. Arthur leaned forward, capturing Merlin's lips in another, more intense kiss. He gently pushed Merlin back until he was lying on his back on the bed with Arthur hovering over him.

Removing his lips from Merlin's, Arthur planted several quick kisses down Merlin's jaw towards his neck. Merlin turned his head, giving Arthur more room to work with and sighing in contentment. His pulse was racing under his skin. This was it.

Arthur ran his hands up Merlin's sides, under his t-shirt, lifting the shirt to almost Merlin's shoulders. "Merlin," he whispered, moving to kiss Merlin on the lips again. "Merlin…"

Merlin put his hands on Arthur's face and Arthur shut his eyes, leaning into the hand on his left cheek. Then Merlin ran his hands slowly down Arthur's cheeks to his shirt covered shoulders to his arms, and then he moved back up to Arthur's shoulders and traced down Arthur's chest. Arthur groaned and tugged at Merlin's shirt. Merlin leaned up at bit, further into Arthur's body, and pulled his shirt off. Arthur mapped out the pale skin of Merlin's chest with first his fingers and then his lips, all the way to the hem of Merlin's jeans. Merlin shivered and Arthur stopped.

He pulled his own shirt off and tossed it to the side to land with Merlin's on the floor. Arthur pressed their chests together, kissing Merlin heatedly as his hands trailed down Merlin's side to his jeans again. He lifted up so he was hovering a breath away from skin to skin contact and traced his fingers over the hem of Merlin's jeans as far as he could touch before laying his hand against the bulge of Merlin's arousal. Arthur kissed Merlin again, slowly. "I love you, Merlin," he murmured.

Merlin moaned, pressing up into Arthur's hand. "I love you too," he breathed out, lifting his head a bit to plant a kiss to Arthur's lips. "And before you ask…Yes." His eyes glittered in the dark. He shook his head. "Yes to everything."

Arthur pressed against Merlin's groin a bit heavier with his hand, his eyes darkening with lust, and Merlin moaned again, shutting his eyes. Arthur's hand left Merlin's arousal and Merlin almost whined, but then Arthur was undoing Merlin's jeans and slipping them and his boxers down his legs and off entirely. He removed the rest of his own clothes shortly in much the same manner. Arthur ground their hips together and they both let out deep groans at the feel. Arthur kissed Merlin like he was air itself, his right hand trailing around to Merlin's back and down, feeling his way to Merlin's entrance. Merlin gasped into his mouth.

This was it. This was really it.

This was _finally_ it.

…

…

More than an hour later they were still lying naked in Merlin's bed. The covers were pulled up to their chests and Merlin was pleasantly dozing against Arthur's side: in the moment between being awake and falling asleep. Arthur combed his fingers through Merlin's hair lazily, hastening Merlin's departure to dreamland.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked quietly.

"Mmm?" Merlin shifted, curling a bit more into Arthur's side.

Arthur smiled for a moment before frowning. "I'm scared."

Merlin's eyes fluttered open as he pulled himself from sleep. "I know," he said, just as quietly. He focused on how the moonlight through his window made Arthur's skin look to keep himself awake.

"No, I'm terrified," Arthur said seriously. "I don't want to lose you, ever, and when my father finds out about us…I'm scared of what he'll do."

Merlin shut his eyes for a moment but forced them open again when he felt himself slipping away. "We'll figure it out when it comes…." He yawned. "But don't worry. He won't find out for awhile."

Arthur let out a wry laugh, quiet. "Does _anything_ scare you?" he asked, half teasing and half serious.

There was silence for a long moment, and then Merlin nodded against Arthur's shoulder. "Every day." Arthur tilted his head down, trying to see Merlin's expression, but his head was too close to Arthur's to see around his hair. "I sense terrible things happening to people every day. When I walk down the street…I know how each person's day will go. Most of the time I'm ok with that. But I'm always scared…that one day I'll feel the danger and not be able to stop it from happening….Like with Melinda."

Arthur felt Merlin tense up at the memory. He continued combing his fingers through Merlin's short hair and ran his right hand gently up and down Merlin's left arm. "You risked your life for that girl. There was nothing else you could've done to save her."

Merlin nodded. "I know that," he whispered thickly. "But it scares me just the same." He shrugged where he lay. "So…we're not all that different. I worry too."

Arthur leaned his head over to lay on top of Merlin's and took a deep breath. He wouldn't say it aloud, though he knew Merlin already knew, but sometimes he did start to think that Merlin wasn't like normal people. He would think that Merlin never worried about anything and that Merlin knew everything, that he was never surprised. Then Merlin would explain himself a bit more or something would happen that reminded Arthur that Merlin was just like everyone else: human, fallible, emotional, normal.

"I worry about letting people down," Arthur revealed quietly. "I worry that I won't live up to everyone's expectations…That I'm not as good as everyone thinks I am. And I'm afraid of not being able to protect you," he murmured. "I'm afraid that one day…I won't be there and something will happen….and you won't see it coming and I won't be there to save you."

Merlin gave a sad smile and kissed Arthur's shoulder. "You can rest easy knowing you'll never let _me_ down, Arthur," he said lightly. "And don't worry." He gave a half shrug. "My powers are getting stronger all the time. If anything terrible was going to happen to either one of us…I'm sure I would know with enough time to stop it." He wrapped his left arm around Arthur's waist. "We'll be okay, Arthur."

His words comforted Arthur's heart and they soon both fell asleep, dreaming of a future together, until death do them part.


	9. Junior Year Part 3

OH MY GOD! SEVEN MONTHS! I am SO sorry, everyone!

The truth is, I had this written ages ago, but my beta couldn't get around to beta-ing it because she was working on finishing up her first novel and other life events and things. So it got put off, and off, and off, and I apologize so much for that. But here you go, and I will try my hardest no to go this long without an update ever again. That's a promise.

I hope you guys are still reading after this long hiatus...:/

* * *

_February 2004_

"Ah!" a girl screamed loudly. "Ew!"

Merlin sighed as he shut his locker. He looked to his left down the hall and saw the new girl, Sophia, glaring at him. Her rich brown hair and designer fashions were covered in white powder and there were frogs on the ground hopping away from her high heeled feet. Merlin sighed again and turned away. She was going to blame him for this. Only the people who didn't listen to him ever blamed him.

Sophia had transferred in shortly after Valentine's Day and taken the school by storm. Her father was a hot shot billionaire who made his fortune selling medicines. Merlin knew the medicines were only half legitimate and that her father also helped sell things on the Black Market, and that Sophia knew it, but he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut about that. In any case, Sophia had taken an instant liking to Arthur and Merlin couldn't blame her. She'd walked into her first class and Arthur had been laughing with his friends. The sight of Arthur smiling made anyone's cold heart melt, and Sophia was no different.

She'd started flirting shamelessly with Arthur at every given opportunity. She wore revealing clothing that was barely allowed by the school dress code. She did her best to always be touching Arthur in some way when she was in reach. While most of Arthur's friends were turned on by her blatant shows of skin and sexuality, Arthur really couldn't care less. He tried to tell Sophia that he wasn't interested, but she wasn't listening to a word he said.

While her advances hadn't upset Arthur too much, there was someone else at the school who was really angry about it. Ever since Sophia first began flirting with Arthur, her locker was sporadically booby trapped, her things would go missing out of her purse and bag, and her desk was defiled. Like Merlin, she was being bullied. Merlin had tried to warn her about the powder and frogs, but she hadn't listened. He'd tried to warn her about _all_ the stuff that kept happening to her, but she never listened. And now she would blame him for planting the traps instead.

"Why is it that everyone who doesn't listen to me when I warn them thinks that I'm behind whatever happened that I warned them about?" Merlin asked as he leaned lazily on his desk in his last class.

Morgana shrugged. "It really is stupid if you think about it," she commented. She was sitting on her own desk. "I mean, really, what kind of an idiot warns you about his own pranks? Consistently?" She shook her head. "Logic says that eventually everyone would know to listen to you because what you say will happen, happens. But all the morons in this school continue to ignore you no matter what."

"I know you're not the one bullying Sophia," Gwen began softly, trying not to draw attention to them at the front of the classroom. "You get bullied all the time. Why would you do it to someone else, right?" she asked rhetorically. "What I want to know is who is actually doing the bullying."

"Well, it's a woman," Morgana stated plainly. Merlin turned to look at her while Gwen seemed surprised. "Women aren't so physical as men. While Arthur and his goons have to physically be there to shove Merlin's head in a toilet or knock him to the ground, Sophia's tormenter leaves traps and vandalism when no one is around to see it. It's like in real world crime. A man will take a gun and start shooting the person who pissed him off. A woman will poison the punch and walk away."

Merlin smiled. "Great job, Morgana," he complimented with a nod, sitting up in his seat. "It is a girl. It's-"

He cut himself off when Vivian streamed through the door. She looked flawless, as always, and smiled when the guys swooned. At sixteen, Vivian was the belle of the school. She and Arthur were already being considered for Prom King and Queen next year.

"Arthur!" she half squealed and hurried to the back of the room where all the jocks sat. "I've got big news."

"Really?" Arthur asked, leaning back in his seat. To most it seemed he was just reclining. To Merlin it looked like he was trying to get away. "What?"

Vivian smiled brightly. "I got daddy to bring sponsors to your next track meet," she told him happily. "If you do well, as we all know you will, you'll get a full scholarship to the college of your choice. Though why you'd go anywhere but Camelot U. is beyond me. It is the best school in the country after all. And," she swayed her hips as she leaned down over Arthur's desk, lowering her voice seductively, "I'll be there so…."

Arthur gave her a polite smile. "I would hardly consider another school," he assured her. Her smile was bright again as she stood up. "And thank your father for the sponsors. That's really great."

"Oh I _knew_ you'd love it," Vivian gushed.

Morgana grimaced. "Let me guess," she said, but didn't guess.

Merlin nodded. "Yep."

There was a long pause between the three friends as they watched Arthur and his buddies play with Vivian. Then Gwen jumped a bit in her seat. "Oh, that's right."

"What?" Morgana asked curiously, slipping off her desk and sitting in her seat just as the teacher entered the room.

"Matthew invited us all to the track meet on Friday, the same one where all the sponsors are going to be," she said. "Do you think he'll get sponsored?"

Both girls turned to Merlin. He shook his head. "Uh-uh. You two told me you wanted some surprise in your life," he dismissed.

Morgana frowned. "But this isn't our life. It's Matt's. Now come on, spill," she ordered.

Before Merlin could shake his head again, the bell had rung and Mr. Carbonell had called the class to order.

…

…

Gwen rushed over to Morgana and Merlin standing at the end of the bleachers. She'd gone to the bathroom as soon as the races were over. When she stopped, she was gasping for breath and had to double over and grab her knees to stay upright.

Morgana frowned. "Gee, Gwen, what's wrong?" she asked uncertainly.

Gwen shook her head, standing up straight. A guy in a Camelot High jersey pushed past her and Gwen stumbled. Morgana glared after him but the guy vanished into the rest of the crowd exiting the bleachers after the meet. Gwen shook her head again and waved her hands in the air a bit to grab Morgana's attention again. Merlin was still watching her curiously.

"No no. I've got big news," she gushed. "You know how Matt got second place?" she asked.

It was nearly a rhetorical question, but both Morgana and Merlin knew that she wouldn't continue until they answered correctly. "Yea," Merlin answered. "Right after Arthur and before Fred Doogle."

Gwen nodded excitedly. "Well, when I left the bathroom, I saw both Matt and Arthur talking to these guys. I got a bit closer and I overheard what they said," she sped out.

"The sponsors," Morgana filled in with a nod. They both knew where this was going, or Morgana was ninety percent sure she knew where this was going, but they let Gwen have her fun.

"Yea," Gwen agreed with a blinding smile. "And Matt's getting a scholarship too!" she cheered. "A full ride to any college!"

Morgana's face split into a grin. "That's wonderful!" She turned to Merlin, who was trying to hold in his laughs. "We should take him out and celebrate tonight."

Merlin shook his head. "Nah. Can't do," he said simply. Both girls frowned. How could he be so cold? "His parents are taking him out tonight." He shrugged. "It'll be the first family outing they've had since his father found out he was gay."

Morgana and Gwen frowned. "Oh," Gwen murmured. "Well, that'll be good."

"Tomorrow night then," Morgana amended with a little smile, looking to Merlin for confirmation.

Merlin smiled alongside her. "Tomorrow is good."

…

…

Merlin was cornered by Arthur and three other track team members by his locker on the last day of school before Spring Break. "Sup, _Mer_lin," Arthur greeted, leaning one hand on the lockers to Merlin's left. "It's been awhile. We don't talk enough these days." Matt kept them away too often.

"Hello, Arthur," Merlin greeted calmly in response. "No practice today?"

"Oh there's practice," a senior named Adam said. "But only after we're finished with you."

Adam grabbed Merlin by the collar of his shirt and ripped him forward. Merlin barely managed to stay standing as he was dragged through the hall, surrounded on all sides by jocks. They were nearly outside when suddenly Sophia was standing in front of them.

"Wait," Sophia ordered. There was a stain down the left side of her green skirt and shirt.

"What, are you trying to stand up for this freak?" Arthur asked incredulously. He'd never imagined that would happen.

Sophia shook her head. "Of course not!" she denied almost violently. "But this loser ruined my new clothes and I want to make him pay for it. I'm sick and tired of him messing with me."

Merlin sighed, shutting his eyes. Things were about to get complicated.

Sophia was shoved to the side and standing in her place was the beautiful Vivian. "What?" Sophia questioned.

Vivian glared. "Oh no, I'm not letting that little _monster_ steal the show," she said angrily, jabbing a finger in Merlin's direction. "I did all the work so I'm taking credit. That dirty little nobody couldn't do _half_ of the things I've done."

Arthur shook his head. "But why?" he asked in confusion. Vivian had always seemed so nice. A bit clingy, but nice.

"Vivian believes that Arthur and she will be the perfect couple, have a perfect relationship, and become the perfect husband and wife," Merlin recited dutifully. "Then Sophia appeared at school and stole all her spotlight and attempted to woo Arthur into being her boyfriend. Like the big cats of the African plains, Vivian got territorial and tried to scare Sophia away with petty pranks and traps, but it didn't work. And now they'll both blame me for the failure of their plans and their wardrobes, because everyone should know that Sophia's skirt alone cost four hundred and sixty-two dollars from a French boutique that her father recently bought out just for her, and now it's stained forever."

And if Merlin was feeling a bit territorial too, well no one needed to know that at all.

Vivian and Sophia responded just as Merlin knew they would. Their faces turned red and they advanced on Merlin all at once. "How dare you!" Vivian hissed.

"You little spy!" Sophia shouted. She made a grab for Merlin but her hand was knocked away as yet another person joined the growing mob.

Matthew stood between Merlin and Sophia, facing Merlin. He grabbed Adam's hand and ripped it from Merlin's shirt easily. Morgana and Gwen pushed through the jocks to stand around Merlin protectively as Matthew turned to face Sophia.

"God, you two piss me off," he nearly spat out. Every one of the jocks, including Arthur, dropped their jaws. "Merlin isn't the cause of your problems. It's your own selfishness and vanity that cause your failures. If you want to be angry at anyone, be mad at each other. Don't involve innocent parties in your petty cat fight." He turned on the jocks. "And I told you I wouldn't let you all bully Merlin any more. Something tells me you didn't take me seriously."

By gosh, if Merlin wasn't already head over heels in love with Arthur, he might just develop a crush on Matthew. Merlin could feel how a girl just outside the circle of jocks swooned at just how noble Matt looked in that moment. It was too bad she wasn't his type. Merlin had to hold back a chuckle.

Morgana placed a hand on Merlin's left shoulder. "Come on, Merlin," she ordered softly. "Let's get out of here before we're infected by their idiocy."

Merlin, Matthew, Morgana, and Gwen walked out of the group and outside. No one tried to stop them. About the time the doors shut, Vivian and Sophia began shouting at each other. The track team members quickly dispersed. Cat fights were some of the most violent fights ever. Merlin and company didn't stop walking until they were next to Matthew's car.

"You all didn't have to do that," Merlin said.

Matthew shook his head. "Merlin, you're my friend. Regardless of the reason, they have no right to pick on you. And since we're friends, I'm duty bound to protect you almost." He shrugged. "I want to do it."

"And I never stick up for you," Gwen began. "It felt nice to finally stand next to you and defend you in public, before the danger's over."

Morgana just smiled and didn't say anything. Matthew unlocked his car and then paused. "Merlin," he began, "do you want a ride home?"

Alarm bells went off in Merlin's head. Riding home with Matthew wouldn't be a good idea. Then Matt would know where he lived and would show up whenever he felt like it. Mrs. Collins would let something about Arthur slip and they'd be found out. Matt would try to be supportive, but he wouldn't understand why they did things the way they did. He'd be nicer to Arthur at school, raising suspicions. A few weeks later, he'd let it slip to Morgana and Gwen, and a few days after that he'd accidentally spill the beans while talking to Arthur at practice.

Merlin shook his head. "No thanks. My house isn't that far away," he declined.

"You sure?"

Merlin nodded. "Yea. I like walking anyway."

Matt looked a bit unsure about Merlin's answer, but after a few seconds he let it be. Morgana shrugged and turned to Gwen. "Gwen, do you wanna come to my house?"

Merlin perked up at that idea. He'd never been to Arthur's house. His enthusiasm quickly killed itself. Not now. He would go to Arthur's house at a later date. Now was not the time.

…

…

Arthur laid back in his bed and sighed. His feet were dangling off the side but he didn't care. All he cared about was the mobile phone at his ear. It rang and rang and-

"Hey, Arthur," Merlin greeted easily, happily.

"I'm never going to survive a week without you," Arthur said glumly, shutting his eyes.

Merlin laughed softly. "You know you're father's been planning this family trip for over a month now," he said logically. "There's no way to get out of it. Besides, you can call me at night from the hotel."

Arthur frowned. "And how do you expect me to do that, Mr. Psychic? I'm sharing with Morgana," he half-whined.

Again Merlin laughed, but only once. "You might be surprised." Arthur heard a soft 'thmp' and brought his eyebrows together.

"Are you studying?" he asked incredulously. "Spring Break just started. Why are you studying?" he asked when Merlin didn't answer immediately.

"Mm." Arthur could practically hear Merlin shrugging. "I hadn't read it yet," he said simply, like that explained everything. "Besides, religion is fascinating."

Arthur heard him get up from his desk, the chair squeaking in protest, and snorted. "Sure it is." He shut his eyes. "People bickering back and forth about what God actually wants for us in this life and the next, whether or not there actually is a God, or many gods, how we should praise our lord and master," he groaned. "Why can't we all just agree that we have no damn clue _what_ the big guy wants, or if it even _is_ a guy, and get over it?" he complained.

Merlin let out a hum. "Very judicious of you, dearest," he complimented. Arthur blushed. "Sadly, the world isn't so simple." Arthur heard a deeper 'thmp' and a content sigh. Merlin had dropped into his bed. "Let's talk about something else. How about how much fun you'll have in California?"

Arthur traced the bumps of his ceiling with sullen eyes. "Not nearly as much as I would have if you were with me," he murmured.

There was silence for a long time, with both boys just listening to each other breathe. Merlin took a deep, quiet breath. "At least you'll be in sunny California. The weatherman said it might _snow_ here," he complained teasingly.

Arthur couldn't help the grin that flashed across his face. "I love you, Merlin."

…

…

As dreadful as a week without Merlin was, Arthur got through it. And Merlin was right: it snowed in Camelot. But then the week was out and Arthur and Merlin both looked forward to Monday morning when Arthur could grab Merlin securely by the shoulders and shove him in his locker. Oh the anticipation.

The moment Merlin walked in to the hallway and saw his locker, he knew the morning wasn't going to go as planned. He walked over to his locker hurriedly and put the combination in faster than he ever had before. Just as he opened the locker door, Merlin leaned to the right. The powder bomb flew just over his left shoulder and Merlin winced just before he heard it land behind him.

"Hey!" Adam shouted indignantly. "What the-"

Merlin turned around slowly, and had to hold in a snort of laughter. Adam, along with two other jocks, were standing just about in the middle of the hallway. Adam was covered in pink powder: a blush from Vivian's personal make-up kit. His whole jersey was coated in the rosy make-up. He turned and landed a harsh glare on Merlin.

"Why you little!" Adam rushed Merlin, knocking him almost completely into his still open locker, and grabbed him roughly by the front of his shirt. "You think this is funny? This is my best jersey, you snot! Where do you get off?" he demanded. He grinned. "You know, this is a nice shirt." He rubbed it between his fingers where he was holding on to Merlin. "Trade me."

Now, it wouldn't be the first time a bully had stolen Merlin's shirt or shoes, but right now Merlin really didn't want to give up his clothes. Besides, Adam planned on handing Merlin the pink jersey in return, and then bullying him into washing and returning it and using it against him forever.

"No," Merlin refused.

"What?" Adam shot out, pushing Merlin a bit further into his locker. His shoulder was caught on the edge though, and it was beginning to hurt from the pressure. "How dare-"

"If you wear my shirt and I wear your jersey, everyone'll know," Merlin interrupted calmly. "One person will think perhaps there's something going on between us. Even though no one else thinks so, when that one person tells their friends about their thoughts, ideas will form in two, then three, then a dozen people's minds. Is Adam dating Merlin? You'll deny it. I'll deny it. But the idea will be there in their minds, festering and growing. Those people will talk to other people and soon the whole school will think, somewhere in their minds, that you're gay and dating the school freak show." He never raised his voice, but he could see that his soft tone was getting to Adam just as much as his words. Merlin waited a few heartbeats and then, "So….About trading shirts with me-" he cut himself off purposefully.

Adam grit hit teeth together so hard Merlin could practically hear them cracking. Then he let out a frustrated growl of a sound and shoved Merlin all the way into his locker. He didn't even bother shutting it before walking away. Merlin pulled himself out of his metal cage and watched Adam stomp away, even as he felt Arthur come up behind him with more of the school's athletes.

"What'd you do to Adam?" Arthur asked, bitterness tinting his voice.

Merlin glanced over at the small group of four and gave a noncommittal sound before looking to Adam's retreating back again. "I told him a little fortune," he said in a quiet yet teasing tone.

"Telling more lies?" Dan accused, stepping forward. "You're not too smart, are you?"

"Yea," a football player named Steve agreed. "Most people would've learned by now to keep their trap shut."

There was a high pitched giggle and all the jocks turned around. Merlin just shifted his gaze. Vivian and Sophia stood just off to the side of Arthur and his goons, so close together that they might have been one person. It was Vivian who was laughing.

"He's not very bright," she chuckled. It was _almost_ endearing. "But I suppose not everyone can be as perfect as dear Arthur here, am I right, Sophia?"

Sophia nodded. "Quite. The leagues between Arthur Pendragon and Merlin….I'm sorry, what's your last name again?" Merlin didn't even attempt to answer because he knew she wasn't going to give him time. She continued immediately. "Well, in any case, they are so many in number that it would be like comparing the Moon to the Milky Way."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at them. "You're on the same side?" he asked, trying to mask a bit of his shock.

Sophia nodded. "Yes. We had quite the Spring Break together, working through our differences."

"One thing we realized was that we both agree that Merlin," Vivian half gagged on his name, "is dirt that needs to be swept out." She nodded approvingly for her own comment and crossed her arms over her chest.

Merlin turned and grabbed his bag from his locker, and his book for his second class. He knew his teacher would run over today and that he wouldn't have time to come back to his locker between classes.

"Hey," Steve let out. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked when Merlin hoisted his bag over his shoulder.

Merlin blinked innocently at him. "Class. The bell's gonna ring in six seconds." Exactly six seconds later, the bell chimed through the halls and students began hurrying into their first period classrooms. Merlin shut the metal door of his locker and turned to walk away.

Arthur reached out and caught him by the left shoulder. To most, his grip looked tight, but it was actually quite gentle. "We're not done with you yet, Emrys," he promised seriously. "I'll see you at lunch." Then he released Merlin's shoulder, letting him walk away.

…

…

It was about a month later and Merlin was standing outside of a fast food restaurant with Gwen, Morgana, and Matthew. Matthew chewed idly on one of his remaining fries, his grip of the fry container nearly bending the cardboard.

"So," he began almost casually. "Where do you guys think you'll go to college?"

Merlin was leaning against the glass wall of the restaurant just out of the way of the door with his eyes closed. Morgana and Gwen looked over at Matt in interest. Merlin barely moved a muscle. Matt was staring at his fries and didn't notice either way.

Gwen spoke up first. "Well…If I get the scholarships I've applied to….I was hoping to go to Camelot University. It's the highest rated school in the country, after all."

Merlin nodded without a word. He opened his eyes to see Morgana as she drew herself up to her full height. She tossed her empty drink cup into the trash can nearby. "Obviously, I'll be attending Camelot University as well. My father would have a heart attack if I went anywhere but the best."

"Not to mention they're well known as one of the best in Criminal Justice programs," Merlin quipped helpfully, smiling even as Morgana threw him a 'be quiet' look.

Matthew glanced up at Merlin through his bangs. "You're attending Camelot University as well, then?" he asked sullenly.

Merlin shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry, Matt." He withheld the information about how he already had a full ride scholarship to Camelot University should he hold his GPA when this school year ended (which he would) and that he would go wherever Arthur went, even if it was a school in Russia and cost him everything he had. "But I'm rooting for you, too. You'll do great. And you can always call or email," Merlin offered kindly.

Gwen and Morgana raised eyebrows. "Merlin, what are you talking about?" Gwen asked. "Matt….," she turned to their newest friend, "you're going to Camelot University too, right?" Even though she knew Merlin wouldn't have said otherwise if he was.

The shameful look that crossed Matt's features confirmed it. He wasn't going to the same college as they were. "I got accepted at Leon Knights University, and I've always dreamed of going there and joining their track team so-"

"But that's all the way across the country!" Morgana interrupted loudly. "And you'll be enemies with CU's track team: which will include all your old teammates!"

"We'll never see you again," Gwen added softly.

Merlin shook his head and smiled. "Sure we will. He'll visit during Spring Break, and we have computers too, you know. You can call people, and even see people, through certain instant messengers now. No matter where we go in life, we'll always be friends."

His words comforted them all: Merlin never lied, and he rarely spoke of things he wasn't certain of. If he said it would be alright….then it would be alright.

He smiled brighter. "Besides, we've got a whole other year before we split ways. We can enjoy seeing each other every day for as long as it lasts, and then deal with what comes next once graduation is over."

…

…

As the end of term neared, Morgana began talking to her counselor a lot more. She set herself up for a few AP courses for senior year. Gwen was with her counselor a lot too. Merlin was the first to hear she'd gotten all the scholarships she'd applied for, except one. Morgana hosted a party to celebrate…at the Pendragon house.

Morgana picked both Gwen and Merlin up in her car, but Matthew drove himself. Arthur was in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and munching on Doritos from the bowl on the island, when they all walked in. Morgana frowned.

"Jesus, Arthur, can't you find your own food instead of eating our party snacks?" she complained, placing her hands on her hips.

Gwen shook her head with a good natured smile. "It's alright, Morgana. There's plenty of food here. I don't mind if Arthur eats some," she insisted.

Morgana let out a huff of air through her nose. Merlin gave a little smile, folded his hands behind his head, and leaned against the kitchen door frame. "Morgana just wishes Arthur would ask before eating the food she put together for her friends."

Everyone turned to look at Merlin, even Arthur. Then all eyes, save Arthur's, turned to the rest of the food in the kitchen. The marble countertops were covered in food. There were three bowls with different kinds of chips, a tray of hand chopped vegetables and handmade dipping sauce, a serving plate of cubes of meats and cheeses with toothpicks in them, a large bowl of salad with tongs and several dressings next to it, and a basket of warm, fresh rolls.

Morgana sighed and gave a half-shrug. "It's true. I also wish Arthur weren't such a pig too, though," she joked, lightening the mood.

Arthur frowned while the others gave little chuckles. Merlin lowered his arms and cast Arthur a light smile and Arthur had to fight to keep his frown in place. In truth, he'd only been eating the food because he was nervous and the food was there. When Morgana told him she was bringing Merlin, Gwen, and Matthew over (only so she could tell him off and make sure he'd behave himself), Arthur had lost his breath. Merlin was coming to his house! Only after Merlin assured him that everything would be fine had he calmed down, but he couldn't help but feel nervous. He let out a forced laugh that caught the attention of the other three people in the room besides him and Merlin.

"Whatever. You geeks enjoy your food," he scoffed, shoving his hands in his pockets and leaving the room. He paused at the door, almost elbow to elbow with Merlin, and turned to face Matthew. "Great job at the competition last week," he said with a nod.

Matthew blinked. "Yea," he accepted with a nod in return. "You, too. After all, you got first place."

Arthur shrugged but didn't say anything. Instead, he spun on his heel, his elbow tapping Merlin's in the process, and vanished from view. Merlin turned a bit to watch Arthur head down the hall and up the stairs. He blinked as the feeling of realization that was not his own struck through him and turned fluidly back around to face his friends. His eyes focused on Matthew, but Matt was stepping up to the salad and picking up the tongs.

"So, let's start, shall we?" he asked with a bright grin. "I don't know about you girls, but I'm starving!"

Merlin's eyes widened slightly while Gwen's jaw dropped. Morgana blinked and chuckled. "So, what? Merlin's a woman now?" She turned to grin at Merlin. "Something you're not telling us, dearest Merlin?"

Merlin grinned in return and shrugged. "Mmm, you never know," he joked back without missing a beat. Gwen gave a laugh while Matthew and Morgana snickered lightly in the background.

As they all moved to collect some food and get the 'party' started, Merlin let his curious eyes follow Matt's movements.

This wouldn't be too bad.

…

…

It was ten at night. The party was over. Gwen was eighty percent asleep in the front seat of Morgana's car, holding her seatbelt like it was a favorite stuffed animal. Morgana shut the passenger door and turned to face Merlin.

"Alright. Let's get going, Merlin," she announced in an authoritative tone of voice.

Merlin shook his head. "Nah. I'm not tired and it's a beautiful night. I feel like walking home."

Morgana raised a curious eyebrow, as did Matthew. "Really? You sure?" she asked.

"Yea." Merlin nodded, slipping his hands behind his back. "It's not that far away. I'll be fine."

For a few moments, Morgana kept her eyes trained on Merlin's. Then she seemed to decide that he knew what he was doing and shrugged in acceptance before moving to the other side of the car. "I'll see you both at school Monday!" she called before slipping into the car and turning it on.

Both boys waved until she was out of sight. Merlin lowered his hand with a gentle smile. "Do you want to talk about it…or should I guess?"

Matthew visibly flinched next to Merlin, his head snapping sideways to look at the shorter teen. He stared for a few seconds, and Merlin could feel the way his mind was racing and trying to decide how to react. Merlin kept his eyes forward toward where Morgana's car had been, the smile on his face never wavering.

The silence of the night was broken, finally, by Matt. "You," he started, but stopped. He took a deep breath and tried again. "You're gay too."

The statement was simple; not accusatory but confused. Merlin turned his head and locked eyes with Matthew. He'd spent the whole party feeling this moment out until he couldn't feel any more. With a small nod, Merlin softly said, "Yes."

Even though he'd been the one to say it, Matthew's eyes still widened at the admission. "And….the one you like…," he trailed off, his gaze turning hopeless.

Merlin cast his eyes to the side and nodded slowly. "Matthew," he said as if stopping someone from walking away, and he was. Matthew was retreating emotionally and he had to stop him. It worked. "I may not have any romantic feelings toward you," he began, and Matthew tensed, "but someone out there does." He locked gazes with Matt again and gave an encouraging smile. "You'll find them and you will love him far more than you care for me."

Unlike Gwen and Morgana, Matthew wasn't to the point where he assumed everything Merlin said was a prophecy. He still looked lost after Merlin's words. "You're just telling me the same thing my mother's told me since I was a kid…What everyone's parent tells them. But what if I don't find them? I like you! I've thought it was impossible to hope, but it's not, because you're like me. So what's wrong with us being together?" he asked heartfully, his gaze sad and his emotions raging.

Merlin frowned. He took the step between them and wrapped his arms around Matt's shoulders. Matthew didn't hesitate before his arms were around Merlin too. He squeezed Merlin tight and Merlin let out a soft sigh near Matthew's ear. "Everyone has a perfect match, Matt. We search forever simply trying to find them….While most people only find someone that is a partial match to their heart, you're different. Before you're out of college, you'll have found your perfect love. I promise." He tightened his hold on Matt a bit and tilted his mouth closer to Matt's ear. "Just keep your nose out and you'll find them soon."

Merlin stepped back away from Matt and the taller, darker teen let him. Merlin could feel Matthew's tumultuous feelings but knew he believed what Merlin had told him. He started backing away slowly, keeping his eyes fixed on Matt's. After a few steps, he raised a finger to his lips and gave a tiny smile.

"Keep this between us, ok?" Merlin asked needlessly. "Morgana would have a fit if she knew I liked her brother."

Matthew watched him take another step backward before nodding. "Yea. Sure….Hey, Merlin!" he asked louder.

Merlin stopped walking and nodded, lowering his finger. "If you find him, I'll let you know. But you have to ask," he said like it was a condition. "You'll probably know without asking though, so don't worry."

Without waiting another moment, Merlin turned away from Matthew and began walking down Dackling Road toward his house. Matthew stood there for several more moments before he managed to make himself leave the Pendragon house. But he left feeling hope growing in his chest. After all, Merlin said it, so it must be true.

What did he mean by 'keep his nose out' though?

…

…

Matthew traveled to Leon Knights University that summer to check out the school he'd be attending soon and to get a feel for the area. His parents paid for his hotel room and stayed with him during the trip, but left him to his own devices during the day. Morgana attended a summer camp type institution about criminal justice. They were both gone for a month. Merlin spent a lot of time at Gwen's house, helping her study and just generally hanging out. Arthur spent that time training.

Arthur spent a week in Ealdor with Merlin and his mom. Any time Merlin wasn't with Gwen in Camelot was spent at home with Arthur. It wasn't the most exciting or adventure filled summer, but both teens enjoyed it for its simplicity and calm.

And that was how Merlin Emrys and Arthur Pendragon began their senior year at Camelot High School.


	10. Senior Year Part 1

This year will only be two chapters long, not the usual three. Again, sorry for the long pause between chapters.

…

…

_August 2004_

The clink of the ceramic cup as it was set on the tabletop seemed like fate's bell. Arthur felt stupid for thinking so, since nothing truly life altering had occurred. It was just a simple statement. It was just-

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Merlin tapped his fingers against his cup, the one that had sounded like a bell. They were sitting in the Classic Café enjoying a free afternoon together. Or they had been. Merlin lifted his eyes from where they were staring at his tea to focus solely on Arthur.

"I got a job," he repeated. "At the mart near my house."

Arthur shook his head. "But I thought you already had a job with the school; a teacher's assistant or something like that."

Merlin nodded. "Yea. I do. But I needed a second job."

"Merlin," Arthur began, and Merlin knew exactly what he was going to say. "If you need money, I can help you out. I am the son of one of the richest guys in the country, you know."

A soft sigh slipped through Merlin's lips. He was happy that Arthur would offer, but this wasn't something Arthur could help with. "Thank you, Arthur, but I can't let you help me on this one."

"Why not?"

"Because I need to do this myself, or it won't hold the same meaning," Merlin answered mysteriously.

Arthur considered asking about what that meant, but he figured Merlin wouldn't answer anyway. Merlin was up to something, and Arthur would just have to be patient to learn what it was. He nodded, accepting what his boyfriend told him.

"Arthur," Merlin began quietly, his fingers again drumming against the side of his tea. "With this new job…I won't have as much free time."

Arthur nodded resignedly. "We won't see each other as much outside of school." Merlin lowered his head and his eyes to his cup.

A few moments of thin silence later, Merlin looked up again and smiled. "We still have our school encounters to look forward to, and I'll be off most Wednesday afternoons."

Arthur smiled as well. "Alright. Sounds like a date."

"Yes it does."

The small bell above the door chimed, admitting another customer to this small café. There were already a few people at the other tables, but the shop was relatively empty and quiet so the chime sounded loud and clear. A petite woman, probably nineteen or twenty years old, entered the café. She wore an elegant business suit but still managed to look like the girl next door, her shoulder length black hair cascading in beautiful curls. Merlin glanced up at the door at the sound of the chime and lost his breath.

Merlin put his right hand on his temple, his left hand gripping his tea cup tightly. "Merlin?" Arthur asked, but his voice was far away.

Blood. The park on a clear dark night; not a cloud in the sky. Why did this happen? The gun smoking. Little girl with big tears. Mommy. Daddy. Blood. Why? Fast money. Big money. Short will. Long family. Jealousy. Hatred. Why her? Why just her? Greed. Greed. Greed. Glimmering hallway. Marble floors. Portraits on the wall. Banquet under crystal chandelier. Don't drink the wine. Don't drink the wine. Poison. Dead body on the floor.

"Merlin?"

Merlin's eyes snapped into focus and he looked at Arthur. "Sorry. I'll be right back," he murmured, nodding towards the girl at the register.

Arthur followed his gaze and a look a realization crossed his face. "That bad?"

Merlin nodded and, releasing his death grip on the cup, stood from the table and headed for the girl. She finished paying for her to-go coffee and turned to leave. Merlin made sure he was in her sight and she'd noticed him before he fully approached her.

"Ma'am," he greeted with a short bow of his head. She inclined hers in return, looking worried. "Don't worry. I don't want anything from you except a bit of your time. I need to warn you."

"Warn me?" the young woman asked cautiously. "Of what?"

Merlin nodded toward the door and the girl continued on her way outside, Merlin in front of her not behind her. Once they were outside, Merlin walked alongside her. "Your life is in danger." The woman stopped walking for a moment before continuing. "No," Merlin preempted her. "Not me. You're uncle Henig. You're having a grand dinner party tonight at the house you inherited from your parents when they died. He's bringing a perfectly aged wine, but the glass he'll hand to you is laced with poison." The woman gasped but Merlin kept going. "If you drink it, you'll be dead before anyone can call an ambulance. So please, don't accept anything he offers you."

The woman stopped walking completely and turned to face Merlin. "How do you know this?" she asked in a small voice.

Merlin shook his head. "I have a special skill," he said carefully but fluidly. "I try to use this skill to help other people, and right now….I want to help you. You're young. You're beautiful. You have a lot left to do in your life. Don't let it end tonight. Don't drink the wine," he implored.

The woman watched him silently for several long moments. Merlin knew the moment she believed him and he let out a relieved sigh. He felt her surprise at his relief before she'd said anything. "Ok," she agreed anyway, hiding it. "Henig is a greedy man and I wouldn't put it past him. Thank you, whoever you are."

Stepping back and away from her, Merlin shrugged. "Just a guy," he said before turning and walking back down the sidewalk to the café. He knew she watched him until he was back inside, and then she went on her way. He plopped back down across from Arthur with a smile.

"I'll guess it was a success then," Arthur ventured with a grin.

Merlin nodded. "Yep. Freya Donnelly will live to see another day."

Arthur nearly spat out his tea. "What?" he gasped.

Again, Merlin nodded. "You're right. That Freya Donnelly. Orphaned daughter of Andrew Donnelly the multimillionaire who owned half of Camelot. Her extended family is upset that he left everything to his daughter, so they keep trying to kill her off."

"Whoa," Arthur let out. "Glad my dad's still around, then."

"And that you don't have extended family trying to steal your livelihood from you every other weekend," Merlin answered easily, in a good mood from his success. He tilted his head toward the door. "She'll be around again soon, in a few days or so."

Arthur gave a crooked smile. "Another believer?" he joked.

Merlin laughed but didn't say anything else on the matter. Arthur wasn't asking about his job anymore, and that's all he wanted. After all, what good was a surprise if everyone knew about it?

…

…

"_I'll miss you this Christmas."_

Arthur glanced both ways down the hall, checking for his father or sister. He didn't need to, really, because Merlin only called when he was sure no one would overhear. Arthur then shut his bedroom door and retreated to his bed. "I think I'll miss you more."

"_I could argue the point, but let's just say we'll both miss each other,"_ Merlin compromised.

Arthur held the phone to his ear with his right hand, his left splayed across his chest as he watched the ceiling. "Just thinking about it, I feel like you've already been gone for weeks."

Merlin laughed and it made Arthur's heart flutter in his chest. _"I know what you mean,"_ he agreed. _"But we'll make up for it with New Year's."_

"And your birthday," Arthur reminded him.

"_Yea."_ Merlin probably nodded, but over the phone Arthur couldn't tell. _"I'm taking Freya home with me."_

Arthur nearly dropped his phone. He rolled onto his side with a frown. He opened his mouth to ask 'Why?' but Merlin beat him to the punch.

"_Because she hasn't had a real family type Christmas since she was twelve, and she needs a break from all her relatives trying to steal her livelihood,"_ Merlin explained.

Arthur ran that over in his head a bit. It was true. He'd met Freya a few times since Merlin helped her in the café. She was sweet, but it seemed like every other day Merlin was calling to warn her about some plot or another. Freya was one hundred percent a believer in Merlin's gift – apparently she'd poured her wine on the potted plant near the table they were eating at and the plant died within the hour, and everything he'd warned her about since had been true as well. However, while she was happy to hang around Merlin at any time, Freya had a mini panic attack whenever Arthur walked behind her or out of her view. Her nerves were always on edge.

Merlin was right.

He sighed. "Alright," he agreed, since he knew that's why Merlin had brought it up. Merlin probably already knew that Arthur would say yes, which was why it was a statement and not a question, but he'd 'asked' anyway out of courtesy. "You're right." A sudden thought hit him and Arthur snorted. "Will's gonna love her," he joked.

Arthur could hear the smile in Merlin's voice. _"Oh yea. I should start selling tickets now,"_ Merlin agreed, also joking. _"It's going to be quite the show."_

…

…

Merlin stepped off the train with confidence in his step. He held his bag in his right hand while his left was holding the hand of a beautiful young lady. She had her hair pulled back in an adorable ponytail, but some of it was falling around her face in a cute and fashionable way. In her free hand was her own bag. Merlin smiled at her and the uncertain look on her face vanished as she smiled back.

"Mother," he said calmly, but the smile bled into his voice. Freya lifted an eyebrow and Merlin turned to look forward again. "Hi, mom!" he called to the aging woman approaching them. He released Freya's hand so he could wrap his left arm around Hunith's shoulders.

"Oh, Merlin!" Hunith greeted jovially in return. "It's been so long!"

"Two months," he said, pulling back. Merlin motioned to Freya beside him. "Mom, this is Freya."

Hunith's face lit up once more as she turned her eyes to Freya. Freya flinched a little, not sure how the woman was about to react. Then, Hunith had her arms around Freya in a warm hug. It wasn't too tight and Freya found herself relaxing.

"It's so nice to know that Merlin is making new friends," Hunith said as she pulled back. "And such gorgeous ones too." She threw Merlin a teasing smile. "You're not thinking of cheating on Arthur, are you, Merlin?" she joked.

Merlin smiled; something simple and sincere. "No," he assured her softly. "We should go though," he began, his tone normal again. "Will'll be over to the house about dinner time and I'd like to have Freya settled in before he arrives."

Hunith gave a mildly sorrowful smile. "That boy," she said quietly. "If only his father were still alive….maybe he wouldn't be so angry all the time."

Freya glanced between Merlin and his mom, her confusion growing by the moment. She felt so out of place here. She didn't know anyone or anything. In fact, she was amazed she was trusting Merlin so much. After all, she'd only met him two months ago and she'd only really talked to him a few times. What did she really know about him? She'd never doubted his sincerity before, but…

Merlin glanced over and gave her a reassuring smile. Freya felt her nerves loosen and the knots around her heart come undone. Merlin was Merlin; helpful, caring, kind, sincere Merlin.

Hunith insisted on carrying Freya's bag. Merlin whispered that Freya shouldn't even bother attempting to argue. And they all piled into Hunith's old car to go 'home'.

…

…

Hunith's house had a guest room. It was a rarely used room that doubled as a storage room. But Hunith didn't have much to store, so it was still quite open and relatively clean. She'd specially organized her stuff and given the room a good washing when she heard Merlin was bringing a friend for the holidays, that wasn't Arthur. Arthur had never used the guest room. From the beginning, he'd always stayed in Merlin's room.

Freya wasn't the same. Merlin had told Hunith in advanced how to behave around Freya. He told her that Freya was jumpy and that she should keep in front of the younger woman at all times. However, he also told her that since Hunith was a woman, Freya wouldn't mind so much if she slipped up. Will, however, would be another story. Other than that, Merlin had assured his mother that her usual kind demeanor was just what Freya needed.

Hunith handed over Freya's suitcase to Merlin once they were home, and Merlin carried it to the guest room. He set it on the bed, on top of the starry bedsheets. "You'll be staying in this room," he announced unnecessarily. "Mom's gone to make dinner. And Will'll be around soon." He tilted his head at her. "He's been my best friend for as long as I can remember….Except in the past few years, when we've been a bit more at odds. It's gotten better though, and soon he'll be just like he always was."

Freya nodded. "Is he handsome too?" she asked, remembering Hunith's words from the station.

Merlin smiled. "Not so much as you or Arthur, but yea."

Freya looked away from Merlin to her suitcase on the bed. She ran her fingers along the edge of the fancy leather bindings. All the while, Merlin watched her with unguarded eyes and waited. "So when your mother asked…if you were cheating on Arthur…," Freya began in a quiet, almost timid voice, "Was she speaking as a friend, or something more?" As she finished her question, she lifted her eyes to Merlin's. It was something that always struck her about Merlin. When they were together, whenever she looked at him, he looked at her. He never hid from her.

"Something more," Merlin admitted without shame. "At school, he's my biggest bully. Otherwise, he's my boyfriend of almost three years."

He kept his stance languid, even as he felt the agitation rise up in Freya. "Bully? You're dating him, and yet he bullies you around others?" she asked incredulously. "He sounds like a coward of a man."

"I don't blame you," Merlin began softly, catching Freya off guard. "Only my uncle, my mother, and Will know about our arrangement, and they don't really understand it either. You see….You are an orphan, Freya. By all legal means, you can do whatever you wish with the life you have." Freya flinched as the conversation turned to her. "I have a loving family that supports me in everything I do." She relaxed. "Arthur is not so lucky. He is the son of Uther Pendragon, the head of all police and security in Camelot, the second richest person in the city." He gave Freya a look that clearly pointed out who the richest was. "His father doesn't just disapprove of homosexuals. He _abhors_ them," he emphasized. "If he learned of Arthur's preference, he'd disown him. Arthur would lose his ticket into Camelot University. His father would go so far as to blacklist Arthur's name from any reputable college in the country. He'd lose his glorious future. And his father would say it was because he was gay that he couldn't make it."

It took Freya a moment or two to speak. "You….You've seen this?"

Merlin shook his head. "I've only ever seen one future, Freya. I saw Arthur's. Everything else is a deep rooted feeling; a hint at what could be if the future changes or doesn't change." He lowered his eyes for a moment before reaching Freya's gaze again. "I know it's hard for you to understand my feelings, but…Arthur is everything to me. He is kind and understanding, so unlike his father. Right now, he's just a kid. We all are. But soon he'll be a man; a man with the world at his feet and in his heart. It isn't a question of being straight or gay for me. Arthur is my destiny; my heart and soul. I'll love him forever."

Freya's emotions tumbled inside of her like a dryer full of mismatched clothes. She didn't focus on any of them for more than an instant and then she was on to the next. While she attempted to untangle her feelings, the silence stretched on between them. Merlin didn't move. He knew if he did that Freya would stop her sorting, and then this whole conversation would be a dark spot in their relationship.

Her toiling ended an instant before the front door opened and Will's voice carried throughout the house. "Yo, Merlin! I know you're here, now come say hi!"

Freya blinked heavily, as if waking from a dream. Merlin nodded toward the door in silence and made his way back to the hall. At the door, Freya's voice stopped him. "Merlin…," she trailed off uncertainly. A light blush stained her cheeks.

He smiled at her. "I know." Relief flooded through her.

She didn't quite understand everything, but she was willing to try. She wouldn't hold it against Arthur, and she could never hold it against Merlin. At the very least she understood how strongly Merlin felt for Arthur. And she accepted them.

…

…

"Hey, Merlin," Morgana greeted as she slid into her seat next to Merlin's. Her eyes slid up and down him once before she said, "Is that a new jacket?"

Merlin couldn't help the smile that lifted his lips. He was wearing a blue jacket with white stripes down the arms. It was soft and warm; better than any jacket Merlin had ever owned. "Yea." He shook his head before Morgana could ask where he'd bought it. She could tell it was an expensive jacket. "It was a gift from a very rich friend."

"Ah," Morgana let out with a sly look. It was like she was saying 'I get it. A 'friend.' Riiiight.' She set her right elbow on the desk and propped her head up with it while she gazed at him with eyes that seemed to look into his soul; even when they didn't. "How did Ms. Friend like Ealdor, by the way?"

Another smile curled Merlin's lips, for a myriad of reasons. Morgana had taken the bait and believed Freya had bought him the jacket. But he also smiled at the memory of Christmas.

"You would've loved it," he commented lightly. "Freya loved Ealdor. She said it was like being in a fairytale, because she's never been in a small town before, you know? But," he laughed under his breath, "Will was not happy."

Morgana frowned. "Why not?"

A shrug. "He thought Freya was my girlfriend at first, and that pissed him off. He got over it when mom and I assured him we were just friends. Then he got mad because Freya kept freaking out whenever he moved." That smile on his face grew until he was grinning like a strange Cheshire cat. "I couldn't really blame her though. Everything he does is sort of done violently. It was really amusing to watch though."

"I can imagine," Morgana agreed with a quaint smile. It dimmed a bit as she leaned back in her chair. The classroom was slowly filling with students and already the jocks in the room had gathered together to discuss their mindless sports. "My Christmas wasn't so glorious," Morgana said wistfully.

Merlin shook his head. "Come on. The beaches are practically empty this time of year. And your dad was just upset that you've been out so much lately."

Morgana was hardly surprised Merlin knew about the family trip or the argument she'd had with Uther. "The older I get, the less he understands me," she sighed.

"I think that happens with everyone," Merlin assured her.

Morgana smirked and poked him in the nose. "Except you, psychic boy."

Merlin lifted his right hand to bat her playful fingers away just as Gwen walked in. Her eyes widened and she rushed over, grabbing Merlin's hand. "Merlin!" she cried jovially.

Several other students stopped talking and looked up at the trio in the front of the room. After a moment in which none of them even moved, let alone speak, the rest o the class moved on and kept talking. It was the period right before lunch and everyone was antsy, so they wanted to have their own conversations, not listen to someone else talk.

"What?" Morgana asked once they weren't the center of attention anymore. "What's the matter, Gwen?"

Gwen practically shoved Merlin's right hand in Morgana's face. "This," she said, sounding just as happy as before but much quieter.

On Merlin's right ring finger was a familiar type of ring. Morgana had seen girls wearing this type of ring before, and lots of movies and books used it to. A claddagh. The heart was facing inward toward Merlin's body. Now what did that mean again? She always got them confused.

"Merlin," Gwen addressed her friend swiftly and seriously, "When did you get in a relationship?"

Morgana's hands flew up to cover her mouth. "Merlin?" she asked from behind her fingers.

Merlin blushed. "It means someone has captured my heart," he explained. "Does it have to mean romantically? Not that it couldn't be romantic, but you two have my heart as well. And Matt."

"So…you don't have a girlfriend?" Gwen asked, sounding put out.

With a faintly apologetic smile, Merlin shook his head. "No. Sorry, Gwen."

Still holding Merlin's hand, Gwen shook it up and down. "Oh! You got me so excited," she chastised. "I thought you'd finally found someone."

Merlin shook his head again. "You've got good eyesight, Gwen. Maybe you should be the detective instead of Morgana," he said in a good-natured way.

Morgana's mouth dropped open and she lightly smacked Merlin on the right shoulder as Gwen released his hand. "Merlin," she gasped indignantly.

Merlin laughed, but inwardly he was glad. From the moment he'd put on the ring this morning, he knew people would talk. But now that Morgana and Gwen had Merlin's 'I love my friends' story, no one would think anything of it. And Merlin could wear Arthur's gift proudly. He touched it gently where it rested on his right ring finger, but resisted the urge to caress it.

"Because you're part Irish on your father's side," Arthur had said.

The fact that Arthur remembered that little detail made Merlin happier than he could imagine.

…

…

tbc…

...

...

I will endeavor to post sooner this time!


	11. Senior Year Part 2

Once again, if there is any part of their relationship that you would like to see here, let me know in a review and I'll try to work it in!

…

…

_April 2005_

The limousine was all sleek black, shining with every light. It stopped outside of a large building, contrasting from those around it only by its breadth instead of height. Through the lightly curtained windows, lights were flashing. The limo pulled up alongside a dozen other similar vehicles before stopping. The driver got out and walked around to open the door for the passengers.

The first to step out was the one and only Morgana Pendragon. She was dressed in a dark purple gown that just touched the floor. It cut low, hinting at her impressive bosom, and the sleeves draped at the elbow instead of continuing all the way to her wrists. Her hair was up, pinned with flowers all over, and only a few strands were let out of delicately frame her face. Light heeled, matching purple shoes, and simple silver earrings, necklace, and bracelet topped off the ensemble. She was a vision.

Gwen Leodegan stepped out next. She wore a yellow dress that hung to just above the ground. It was quite modest in view of Morgana's gown. A floral bracelet of yellow flowers, and hinted gold jewelry borrowed from Morgana, completed her outfit. Her hair was also up, with more yellow flowers decorating it.

The last to exit the limo was Merlin Emrys. He wore a simple black on white tuxedo. He had no date, and Morgana and Gwen were wearing different colors, so he went neutral. He hated his tie, and planned on ditching it as soon as possible.

"Well," Morgana said with an ecstatic smile and a gleeful bounce in her step. "Here we are!"

"Wow," Gwen responded in awe as they walked up to the main doors. "Hard to believe it's prom."

Merlin nodded, patting her on the shoulder. "Four years pass by in a flash, don't they, Gwen?"

Morgana let out a sudden, put upon sigh. "No they don't," she complained, but it was obvious she wasn't really upset. "They drag on forever. I am so glad we'll be graduating soon. Then we can get on with our real lives."

Gwen smiled simply. "Let's put off real life for at least another night, ok? This is our _prom_, so let's enjoy it to its fullest."

"Yea," Morgana agreed. "We don't need dates to enjoy prom. We're more dangerous single, anyway." It sounded like a battle plan when she said it, and Merlin and Gwen gave laughing smiles.

Once inside, the blaring music and the flashing lights in the dark encompassed them. It was hard to hear anyone over the base of the music. Morgana waved her hand almost instantly and then Matthew was hurrying over. He motioned away, toward the refreshment tables, and they all followed him over.

He looked stunning in a suit.

"You can hear a bit easier over here," Matt explained once they were near the food. It was the farthest spot from the speakers. "It's great you could all come!"

"Yea," Gwen replied loudly, "But I feel bad having Morgana pay for us."

"The tickets were an arm and a leg, Gwen, I don't think half our graduating class could afford them," Morgana consoled her. "Besides, you're my best friends, and I'm not gonna let you miss out on this because some stupid idiot set the ticket prices."

The smile Gwen passed to Morgana was grateful. Really, the tickets would not have been so expensive if the prom committee hadn't made it so extravagant. There were streamers everywhere, two grand fountains, stars hanging from the roof that actually lit up, and painted murals all around the room. Every table looked like something from a king's personal dining room, only smaller, and there were white railings around the tables to make it look like a rich dining hall patio, or balcony. The theme was stated to be 'The Richest Night of Your Life.' What it meant was 'This is how the filthy rich live, so this is how we're going to be.' In fact, that was more likely the reason behind the absurd ticket prices than the actual payment for creating prom.

Matthew's laugh was almost lost to the din. "Your brother's been here an hour, and already it seems he's stepping on toes."

Merlin turned and grabbed a small pastry from the table, napkin and all, just as Arthur stopped next to Morgana.

"Can you believe this?" Arthur asked, as if complaining. Which he sort of was. He motioned out to where most people were dancing, to where Sophia was doing some sort of bump grind dance with a member of the football team. "She practically begs me to bring her, and then she shamelessly flirts with every other man except me."

Morgana let out a high pitched cackle, short but still evil sounding. She pat Arthur on the chest, near where his heart was. "That's because she knows she's already got you here, so she moves on to other fish. Bigger ones."

Merlin snorted. He couldn't help himself. The guy Sophia was dancing with was Todd Baker, and he had the body of a line backer but the brain of a green bean. Merlin's cheeks colored when the entire little group around him looked at him for the sound he made, and Merlin focused on Arthur for the first time.

His hair was somehow more perfect than ever. He wore a black and red tux, matching Sophia's red and gold to-her-knees prom dress. Strangely, Merlin felt the contrast of the red to the blue brought out Arthur's eyes and made them seem that much brighter. Shaking his head, Merlin focused on his pastry.

Morgana opened her mouth, but shook her head. "I don't think I want to know," she said at length.

Just then, a senior that Merlin recognized from his first period class sauntered over. He exuded confidence, but Merlin knew how he was shaking inside. He had glasses, but they didn't make him look stupid or anything; rather intelligent, instead. He was tall, slim but in an attractive way, with dirty blonde hair and green eyes. His tux was like Merlin's, simple and colorless. He was the vice captain of the school's chess team, and he hadn't had a date all high school. He had a crush on Morgana. His name was Evan Shepherd.

Turning back toward the table as if to grab another snack, Merlin locked eyes with Morgana. She lifted an eyebrow and Merlin nodded. Evan got to where they were all standing and all eyes turned to him. He took a deep breath and held out his hand, steady, as if his insides weren't turning to slush.

"Dance with me?" he asked. He had a voice that you knew would get only a little deeper as he got older, but was already well on its way to something that felt safe and trustworthy. He would be a real catch after college.

Morgana actually looked taken aback, though whether by the question or by his voice only Merlin knew. After only a pause, she gave him a smile and took his hand. "It would be my pleasure."

A relieved smile replaced his confident one and the rest of the group watched as he led Morgana into the fray of dancers just as the songs switched to something not so up-beat. Matthew glanced at Merlin, then at Arthur, and finally let his gaze drop to Gwen.

Falling into a deep bow, he held out his hand to her like Evan had. "May I have this dance, my lady?" he asked.

Gwen laughed out loud as she accepted his hand. Her smile faded as her eyes landed on Merlin behind Matt. "Oh. You don't mind, do you, Merlin?" she asked.

Merlin shook his head and gestured to his still untouched pastry. "Nah. I'm eating anyway. Go have fun."

Matthew turned briefly to face him and winked subtly before leading Gwen off into the crowd as well. Merlin blushed. He knew Matthew knew, but it was still embarrassing. Glancing sideways at Arthur, Merlin saw him standing tense and looking anywhere but at Merlin. He let himself smile a bit.

"You can talk to me," he said, just loud enough to be heard. "All your friends are too busy dry humping each other to notice anything around them, and my friends are all out dancing."

It seemed those words took all the fight out of Arthur and he almost visibly sagged. He took a step closer, making as if to grab something to drink. "Good. Because I had something I wanted to say."

Merlin looked at him with honest eyes. Part of him reached out, wanting to know before Arthur said it, but the rest of him locked that bit up and stayed right there, in the present….except for making sure no one was watching.

Arthur turned and locked eyes with Merlin. "You are the most handsome man I have ever seen," he complimented sincerely, his cheeks turning pink.

Merlin felt his own cheeks heat, but gave a joking smile. "You almost called me 'beautiful,' didn't you?" he teased.

Arthur's cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. "I mean it," he insisted. "No matter what anyone else tells you tonight, even me…." He dropped his eyes momentarily before looking back up at Merlin's face. "You look amazing."

"You look great too," Merlin complimented in return. "I really almost fainted when you first walked over."

They simply stared at each other for a long while, gazing in each other's eyes. Then Arthur coughed and turned away, his embarrassment radiating around him like an aura. Merlin grinned. Arthur was so cute like this!

Stepping a mite closer, he said, "You're really _hot_," he emphasized, and he saw Arthur stop everything, even though they were no longer facing each other. Merlin looked at Arthur's face over his shoulder. "Is one too late?"

Arthur swallowed and shook his head. "One o'clock," he agreed. He stared at the refreshment table blankly for another four seconds and then frowned. "Dammit, Merlin, now you've got me all-" he groaned and pat his face with his hands.

Merlin would be lying if he said that hadn't been part of his intentions. Still, he shrugged in a mildly apologetic way. "Sorry." He glanced at the dancing students of their graduating class. "I'll see you later?"

It was a question out of courtesy. Arthur knew that, and he appreciated it. "Yea. Later."

Then Merlin moved to joined Matt and Gwen in the crowd.

…

…

The couch at Matthew's house was much more comfortable than the couch at Merlin's. And since Morgana didn't want to have Arthur around, interfering, the decision had been made to hold the last group get together at Matt's.

"Wow, Matt," Gwen let out as they were given the two cent tour. "You're house is really nice."

He shrugged. "It's not as big as Morgana's," he said.

Morgana shook her head. "Size isn't all that matters," she contested. "After all, there's only three people living in my house. With all that space, it feels like no one really lives there. Here, you've got you and your two parents, and the house is just the right size for the three of you. It feels much nicer."

Merlin set a hand on Morgana's shoulder. "So, about the movie…," he trailed off on purpose.

Gwen jumped. "Oh, that's right! Tonight's about movies, not about houses." She smiled. "Let's have fun as a group one last time before we split up for college."

Matt nodded. "Right."

"But if we go out after graduation together, then this isn't the last time, is it?" Merlin asked with an innocent expression.

"That's right!" Morgana shouted suddenly, catching everyone but Merlin off guard. "I'll treat us all to a nice dinner! We'll stay out all night and only say goodbye when the sun comes up."

Gwen laughed nervously. "I'm not sure I could stay awake that long. But it's a sweet idea."

"The point is the same, regardless," Morgana soldiered on. "Dinner. All four of us. After graduation is done. No parents. You can have dinner with your families the next night or the previous night, but _I_ claim graduation night."

"My mom and uncle don't mind," Merlin agreed with a shrug and a smile.

Matt blinked once. "I guess…I'll talk to my parents."

Gwen smiled. "Then it's settled. We'll go to dinner after we graduate. So we have to make sure to dress nice under our robes." She grimaced, imagining the graduation robes.

Morgana grimaced as well. "I've never understood why graduation robes are so….ugly."

"And uncomfortable," Matt chimed in. "It's terrible material."

Morgana nodded. "Right. Why couldn't they make it out of something nicer, or maybe take a few extra measurements and fit it to us a bit? Not too tight, but enough that we don't just look like red blocks."

"Oh, but Morgana," Merlin cooed teasingly, "Red is such a lovely color on you. You'll make a gorgeous block."

Morgana whacked him on the back of the head and he laughed. "You're terrible."

Gwen giggled into her hand gently. "But really, what should we wear for this dinner, Morgana?" she asked, half serious with her joy.

With a roll of her shoulders, Morgana let out a 'hmmm' noise. "Well, while I could afford to take you to The Lord's Table-," the most expensive restaurant in the city, "that's not really our style. At least, not as a group." Morgana spared Matthew a look, silently saying that she knew his family had dined there once or twice before and admitting that hers did so often. "And The Green Knight is a bar, so that wouldn't do-"

"Oh, but Percival is a lovely host," Matthew interjected with a grin.

His three friends threw him winks and playfully raised eyebrows. Merlin shook his head and shrugged. "There are better knights out there for you, my friend," he said kindly.

Morgana smiled, looking back and forth between the two males, and then cleared her throat to garner their attention once more. "As I was saying. So perhaps…Mage's?"

Gwen's eyes lit up. "Oh, I _love_ Mage! They have the best seafood. And the desserts are fantastic!"

Merlin grinned, almost laughing. "Yea. I haven't been since I started high school."

"Then we have a consensus," Matthew tallied. "We'll dine at the Mage's place on the thir…teenth…..Hey did anyone else just realize that our graduation is on Friday the thirteenth?"

Gwen and Morgana's eyes widened while Merlin chuckled. "I thought maybe they were trying to be ironic."

…

…

May thirteenth. Graduation. (1)

The halls of the Camelot Grand Theater, the largest stage theater in the city and the region, were bustling with people. Family members, already graduated friends, yet-to graduate friends, and non-school related acquaintances filled every available space. Every once in a while, a figure dressed from head to toe in red would rush through the crowd, all headed for the same room: the room where the lanyards and pins and tassels and stoles were given out. Once each student had received their personal honor extras, everyone just meandered around the room chatting. Sometimes a student would rush out to get in a quick trip to the bathroom before the hours long ceremony that would signal the end of high school, but mostly everyone sat around.

There was an excited buzz in the air.

Merlin stood in an unused room one hallway over. There were few people in the hall outside, just attendees that got lost. He tapped the wall a few times, counting: three, two, one-

The door clicked open. It opened almost hesitantly, revealing Arthur in brilliant color. Once he'd spotted Merlin, he hurried inside and shut the door behind him. Arthur wore a golden stole with two pins on the right hand side.

"So you wanted to-" he stopped. A wide smile crept across his face. "Jeez, Merlin, how are you standing up?" he teased, motioning to Merlin's robe.

Merlin briefly covered up the many pins and honors he'd attached to his stole, a blush coloring his cheeks. "They're not heavy," he said almost petulantly. "Besides. You love my brain."

Arthur shrugged with a nod, a sort of 'well, yea' motion. "Anyway, what did you need?" he asked curiously. Graduation would start any moment now, and they weren't in the correct room.

Merlin's blush darkened and Arthur's interest was piqued. "You know I had a second job this year," he stated. Arthur nodded anyway. "Well, it was because I wanted to save up for something special. Something for us."

Stepping closer to Arthur, Merlin reached under his own red robes. He pulled out a crushed velvet box and held it out to Arthur, whose eyes widened like saucers. Merlin's face was a tomato. Arthur just stared at the small box Merlin held out to him, barely breathing. This was-

"I'm not getting down on one knee, you know," Merlin said a bit teasingly, though his ever darker blush belayed his embarrassment. Arthur's eyes shot up to Merlin's, where they locked for several long moments. Merlin cleared his throat. "It's not, you know, anything official. It's more of a promise ring; that I'll stay true to you." He tilted his head a mite bit to the right. "And…that you'll stay true to me. This is real. You have my heart, Arthur. Forever."

Merlin took Arthur's right hand and set the box in his palm. Once he'd pulled away, Arthur touched the box with his left hand. He opened the box slowly, revealing a pure golden band. It was real gold, nothing fake. He wasn't even going to _ask_ how much it cost. His open mouthed gaping was interrupted by Merlin clearing his throat. Looking up, he saw Merlin wave his right hand at him. Where the claddagh ring usually sat was a matching gold band.

"I'll get a chain for it later, and wear it around my neck. You know…so it'll be…," he seemed suddenly embarrassed by his words, "close…to my heart." If his face got any redder, Merlin might just faint. "B-but for now, today, I wanted to wear it on my hand."

Arthur smiled, pulling his ring from the box and snapping it shut. He slid the ring on his right ring finger. It was a perfect fit. Of course it was. Arthur grabbed the front of Merlin's robes and pulled him in for a deep kiss. He didn't pull back until he needed air. Leaning his forehead against Merlin's, he beamed.

"Thank you," he said softly.

Merlin beamed right back. After a moment, he stepped back once. "Come on, we need to get back now. You go first and I'll follow in a minute."

Arthur hesitated. He leaned forward to press one more quick, chaste kiss to Merlin's lips before he took his exit. All the way back to the graduates' waiting room, he fiddled with the ring. It was a new and strange weight on his typically unornamented finger, but he wouldn't take it off for the world.

…

…

Graduation went off without a hitch. Merlin gave an inspiring speech as Valedictorian; keeping it short but powerful.

"Our high school lives are over. We step into the future as new graduates, understanding the world like we never have before. We started high school as naïve children, we end it as adults. Trust me when I say that the future is yours for the taking. We have so much potential, so many dreams, and now we have the power to make them come true. And you may not know where you're going in life just yet, but you've taken that first step. We all have. The friendships we made here will last. The lessons we learned will stay with us forever. So have faith in yourselves and walk down the paths that you yourself choose. If you do that, you will succeed at whatever you do. Thank you, and congratulations to the class of '05!"

Everyone received their diplomas and walked off the stage as new adults on their way to the rest of their lives. People clapped and cheered for every name, sometimes so loudly that it sounded like a bomb had gone off. Will was a whole cheering squad by himself, and everyone heard him shout "YEA! GO MERLIN!" even amongst the rest of the clapping.

Dinner that night was amazing. Morgana, Merlin, Gwen, and Matthew talked and laughed and Gwen cried and they put off saying goodbye for as long as possible. In the end, they parted ways, but with many promises to keep in touch.

Matthew left for Leon Knights University a month later, packing himself into an apartment just off campus. Morgana spent a lot of that summer trying to get Uther to allow her to stay in the dorms on campus at Camelot University, but Uther always said no.

"I will not have your grades plummet because you get caught up in partying every night!" he said.

Arthur and Merlin took to emailing each other frequently. Gwen got a job at the local clinic and a small apartment near the campus; a little studio with manageable rent. Merlin got a job at Camelot's Center for Mental Health. It was low paying and mostly menial labor, but it was good experience all the same. Matthew came to visit again two weeks before the new Fall semester started. The four friends had dinner together again. Afterwards, Matt pulled Merlin aside and asked him about Arthur, and Merlin insisted that nothing had changed. Matthew left at the end of the week, disappointed for Merlin but excited about his new school.

And that was how Merlin Emrys and Arthur Pendragon began their first year at Camelot University.

…

…

(1) – My high school graduation was on June 6th, and it was the last one of the year for all the schools in my school district (and the state, I think). So I figured May 13th was fine. And really, I realized it was Friday the 13th at the same time I wrote Matt learning it was Friday the 13th. Which made it better, so I kept it.

Also, I don't know what is required of a Valedictorian's speech. I attended probably 6 graduations in 2 years, plus my own, and they were all really long, boring, and the same speech over and over again, so I tuned them out after they started talking about what they did to get this stupidly high GPA. ("I skipped lunch to attend extra courses, took college courses in the evenings and on the weekends, and studied thirty hours a week." Good for you, person with no life.) So I don't know if there's like…a standard outline they're supposed to follow. I don't really care. I like Merlin's speech and it's staying that way.

AGAIN If there is any part of Merlin and Arthur's relationship, or Merlin's relationship with any other character, or any character you want to see, LET ME KNOW and I'll see what I can do. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy and keep reading!


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